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Ontario Government Making Historic Investments in Public Education

NORTH BAY – Today, Vic Fedeli, MPP for Nipissing, outlined the Government of Ontario’s historic investments in public education. As students return to school, Fedeli reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring young people have access to the tools and resources needed to succeed in a safe learning environment.

“It’s back to school for another incredible year of learning, growth and achievement for students across our community,” said Fedeli. “It is the government’s mission to ensure youth in Nipissing can develop the skills they need in a modern economy to help them find good jobs in Ontario. That is why we are investing in students’ futures with record investments in public education, mental health and transportation.”

The government began its reforms to the province’s education system in 2018. This started with the largest-ever education consultation in Ontario, which had over 72,000 engagements with parents, students, educators, employers and community organizations. The results of that historic outreach are reflected in the government’s new vision for education entitled: Education that Works for You. This bold plan innovates several aspects of the education system and empowers educators to better prepare students for the realities of the modern world.

“At the heart of our government’s vision is a shared responsibility to ensure Ontario students have the best chance to be successful after high school – in post-secondary education, apprenticeship and training, the community or the workforce,” said Hon. Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. “Working with MPP Fedeli, we will continue to invest in our kids and create a positive and safe learning environment for today’s children and tomorrow’s leaders.” 

QUICK FACTS

  The Ontario government made the following key investments:

•   Providing over $24B to school boards – an increase over last year – the largest investment in public education in Ontario’s history ($700M in this year alone).
•   Investment nearly $13B to build new schools and improve existing schools over the coming decade.
•   Keeping teachers in the classroom with an additional fund of $1.6B, including funding to retain specialized teachers.
•   Announcing a 4-year, $200 million math strategy to get back to basics and make sure students and educators have the math skills and resources to succeed in the classroom and beyond.
•   Ensuring that mental health is a key component of our modern curriculum and providing $27.5M in funding to support the critical linkage between mental health and wellbeing with student success.
•   Equipping students with the skills they need, with an emphasis on encouraging girls and young women to participate in the skilled trades and STEM.
•   Making financial literacy a key part of our revised math curriculum and a major component of the new grade 10 careers course.