Students plan province-wide walkout to protest Doug Ford's education changes

Apr 4 2019, 7:30 pm

Students across Ontario will walk out of class Thursday afternoon as part of a province-wide protest against Premier Ford’s recent cuts and changes to the province’s education system.

The protest comes weeks after the provincial government announced it is increasing class sizes for high schools, which will go up to 28 students per class, according to Education Minister Lisa Thompson.

According to the Toronto District School Board, this will impact staffing allocations and will result in the loss of 800 teaching jobs.

The changes also include confirmation of the provincial ban on cellphones in classrooms, along with a new math and sex education curriculum.

In what it’s calling a “sweeping new vision,” the education plan was formed with input from more than 72,000 parents, teachers, students, employers, and organizations, according to the province.

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In a flyer posted on Instagram, Natalie Moore, who is one of the walkout organizers said, “I wanted to make students aware of the changes that would seriously affect their learning because they deserve to know.”

 

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A post shared by #StudentsSayNo Movement (@studentssayno) on

The time to speak up is now. It is crucial that we take back our education and show that we have a loud and powerful voice,” said walkout organizers in a statement

“We must not let our opinions be brushed aside just because of our age. These education cuts are directly affecting all of us students, so our point of view matters. We need to hold the government accountable and ensure that we are being heard.”

The province-wide walkout was organized by students on social media and is scheduled to begin at 1:15 pm.

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#StudentsSayNo Provincial-wide Walkout

When: Thursday, April
Time: 1:15 pm to 2:15 pm
Where: Schools across the province

Ainsley SmithAinsley Smith

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