MPP Fife Calls on Wynne to improve classroom safety in schools
Educators concerned about underfunding, students not getting one-on-one attention when they need it
QUEEN’S PARK - During question period Wednesday, Kitchener-Waterloo MPP Catherine Fife called on the premier to improve protections for educators and children in classrooms across Waterloo, sharing a story of a violent attack on an educational assistant – one of many happening in schools across Ontario.
“Rachel is an educational assistant in a Waterloo region school board. She contacted me because she is very worried about the violence that she sees in the school where she works. In fact, she has experienced violence herself many times. In the most recent incident, hair was ripped from her scalp and she received a head-butt to the side of her face from a student,” Fife said.
Chronic underfunding in our school system has led to serious issues of classroom violence. Nine out of 10 Ontario teachers have experienced or witnessed that violence.
“This is not an isolated incident, but rather evidence that schools need more resources and more people in the classroom so that students get the one-on-one attention they need,” Fife said. “For years, teachers and educational assistants in my community have shared their growing concerns about the workplace stress they and their students experience on a daily basis.”
“What is the premier’s plan to make sure that every child and educator in Ontario can go to school without the fear of violence?” Fife asked.
An NDP government will increase students’ access to educational assistants and professionals. We are committed to supporting teachers, educational assistants, curbing class sizes and supporting our most vulnerable students in order to make classroom environments safer and more conducive to learning.