OTTAWA, ON — Today, MPP John Fraser, Interim Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party and Ontario Liberal

Critic for Education, issued the following statement in response to the significant changes made by the

Minister of Education to school attendance policies.

"This is Doug Ford and Paul Calandra with another ham-fisted approach to education.

"While attendance matters, parents should not be put in the difficult position of weighing their child's

education against the activities that help them grow, whether that's sports, music, the arts or

volunteering.

"Sports and extracurricular activities build confidence, discipline and leadership. They help children

learn and prepare them for life. Students should not be penalized for pursuing those opportunities or

risk having their grades lowered in ways that could affect their path to post-secondary education.

"If we want kids in school, we need classrooms to be safe places where students feel supported to

learn. That means smaller class sizes, better mental health supports and stronger special education.

"After eight years of Doug Ford underfunding public education, too many opportunities for students have

already disappeared, from sports teams and music programs to clubs, field trips and the arts. This

policy risks taking even more away from Ontario's students when they need those opportunities most.

"The Ontario Ombudsman recently reported a record number of complaints about education following

Paul Calandra's takeover of local school boards. Instead of rebuilding trust with parents and local

communities, this heavy-handed policy will only create more frustration and more conflict."

"Families don't need more hoops to jump through. These changes will force parents to miss work just to

get a doctor's note for a routine illness, while taking up scarce appointments in the middle of Ontario's

family doctor shortage. Those appointments should be available for patients who actually need medical

care."

"Our job is to help children succeed. This policy makes that harder."

-30-

Media Contact

Lorne Levy | Llevy@liberal.ola.org | (416) 931-8384