NDP: Conservative education cuts constantly targeting special education supports

QUEEN'S PARK - Official Opposition Education Critic Chandra Pasma (Ottawa West—Nepean) issued the following statement in response to the Ford Conservatives' decision to cut 300 school board positions supporting special needs children in Mississauga, Brampton, and Caledon:

"Every day, we witness the repercussions of Stephen Lecce and Doug Ford's cuts to education. With a $1200 per student decrease in funding, school boards are forced to make heart-wrenching decisions about which essential supports to eliminate. Unfortunately, as seen in this instance, the most vulnerable children bear the brunt of these cuts. These decisions are rooted in the Ford government’s misplaced priorities. The Conservatives are sitting on a $5.6 billion contingency fund. Doug Ford and Stephen Lecce can choose differently but opt not to."

Background

• The Ford government underspent its 2022-23 education budget by $432 million.
• The independent Financial Accountability Office (FAO) disclosed that the Ford government withheld $844 million earmarked for education while school boards faced significant funding deficits.