Dear Premier Ford,
Last week social media went berserk when Ontario’s Education Minister, Lisa Thompson, announced that she will be beginning consultations regarding class sizes and teacher hiring processes within our province.
The most talked about topic under review was the government’s discussion of class size caps, with the consideration of removing these caps from Kindergarten classes up to Grade 3.
Although these are just deliberations and investigations, now is the time for parents, educators, and other Ontarians to vocalize their issues with even considering removing class caps. We hope that with our voices we can assuage any changes, but we also hope that we can advocate for the importance and value of good education in Ontario.
My children attend a separate school in Guelph. It’s a small school with a rich history in a lower income area of our city. There’s a diverse range of children from many different types of families that attend, and because of the small size of our school parents really get an opportunity to connect as a community. As a volunteer at our school’s Breakfast Club Program, and regular volunteer in my children’s classrooms, I have the honour of getting an up-close look at the quality of education that my children and their classmates are receiving.
My oldest daughter is in first grade, and has 21 kids in her class. She thrives in the environment she’s in, connecting to her peers, but not overwhelmed by the number of students in her class. Her teacher isn’t overwhelmed with students, but she certainly has her hands full. Penny is already in love with learning, and I have her dedicated teachers and small classroom size to thank for that.
My middle daughter, Georgia, is in her first year of school. In September I had plenty of fears and anxieties about her attending school. Now that we have full-day Kindergarten, with both first and second year students, the first days of school can be intimidating for a young four-year-old.
Georgia’s class has twenty students, with a teacher and an ECE, as well as other resource teachers who come in throughout the day. I have never been more impressed than I have been with my daughter’s school experience this year. Her classmates are all friends, they play together well, and have a certain camaraderie that can only be experienced in a class of their size. They are all well cared for by their teachers, who have ability and energy to take them sledding, on trips to the local grocery store, on walks to the park, and baking and cooking in the classroom.
Georgia has grown by leaps and bounds in the few short months as a student. She is advancing well academically, but beyond that she’s inquisitive, excited to learn, nurturing and caring towards her friends, and confident in the skills she’s acquired already. I know that her positive introduction to school will guide her for the rest of her school years. She will take that confidence gained at four and blossom into a dedicated and curious student beyond the primary grades.
I cannot imagine her having this experience with a large class size. Teachers would be unable to invest and dedicate themselves to each individual child if they were torn in too many directions, spread thin and burned out by the number of demands that these young kids require. And that’s the thing - this kids are individuals - with their own set of needs, dreams, family backgrounds, and futures. If we take away their opportunity to really shine in their younger grades, we take away future opportunities too. This is the time they stretch their wings, and how can they do that without space in a classroom, a chance to get to know and bond with their classmates, and a teacher that is able to dedicate the time they deserve to have?
Please say no to removing classroom caps, and yes to a bright and hopeful future for each child.
Brianna Bell
A concerned mom of three
