Pasma blasts Ford's Conservatives for ignoring school violence

QUEEN'S PARK - Official Opposition NDP Education critic Chandra Pasma (Ottawa West-Nepean) released a statement echoing the concerns of COPE 527, urgently calling upon the Ford government to take immediate action to address the escalating violence crisis within Ontario schools:

"The current conditions within our schools are nothing short of a crisis. Large class sizes, workers bearing black eyes and bite marks, and classrooms being evacuated daily are not isolated incidents.

The surge in violence directly results from the government's refusal to ensure there are enough educators for vulnerable students with special needs so they can receive the support they desperately deserve, along with the lack of mental health supports in schools at a moment when our children’s mental health is in crisis.

The government's empty talking points are doing nothing to solve the crisis. Our children's well-being is at stake. Minister Lecce needs to stop undermining and disrespecting the education system and make the necessary investments to support and protect our kids. A safe and supportive learning environment is as fundamental as it gets."