Since the Ontario PC Party came into power in 2018, they have failed miserably to distinguish themselves from the previous Liberal government on virtually every issue.  One of the most glaring examples of this has been the education file.

Despite Doug Ford’s campaign promise to scrap Kathleen Wynne’s radical sex ed curriculum, the Ontario PCs pretended that their hands were tied when it came to actually replacing the lesson plans’ content - and now act as though the curriculum does not exist at all.

In reality, Wynne’s sex ed curriculum has been in place under the Ford PCs for longer than it was under her own government!

Now, you may have recently heard of Bill 98, the so-called "Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act," spearheaded by PC Education Minister Stephen Lecce.  Click here to view the bill.

This legislation has been presented to the public as a step towards getting Ontario students "back to the basics."  However, a closer look reveals significant flaws in this narrative.

Contrary to its title, Bill 98 fails to prioritize the fundamental subjects of reading, writing, and mathematics.  These essential skills are only mentioned in the bill's introduction; absolutely no concrete measures are proposed within the legislation itself to refocus our academic efforts on these "basics."

Instead, the primary focus of Bill 98 appears to be shifting power away from democratically elected trustees and placing it in the hands of faceless, government-appointed bureaucrats.

Under this legislation, trustees would be stripped of their authority to determine sanctions and the guilt or innocence of their fellow school board members facing Code of Conduct complaints.

The responsibility for these crucial decisions would be transferred to an "Integrity Commissioner" chosen from a government-selected roster, under the watch of Ontario's Minister of Education.

Furthermore, Bill 98 would grant the Minister of Education the power to mandate "training" for school board trustees, Directors of Education, and Superintendents.

What exactly does this "training" entail?  Could it be used to force left wing "diversity training" on those who value meritocracy over identity politics?  We have no idea, because the legislation leaves it completely up to interpretation.

It’s worth noting that (despite how PC-friendly advocacy groups are painting it) the Ford government already possesses all the necessary power to address trustees' behaviour when school boards don’t act.

We witnessed this in 2020 in the case of the Peel District School Board, where Stephen Lecce assumed complete control in response to allegations of racism.  The Ford government only gave PDSB trustees the power to govern again in January 2023 - over two and a half years later.  Click here to read more on that.

At the New Blue Party, we believe that Code of Conduct violations should ultimately be evaluated by locally elected school board trustees - not by faceless bureaucrats selected by whichever provincial government happens to be in power.  While this approach means that more conservative trustee candidates will need to step up and work hard at election time, it ensures that school boards remain accountable to parents and voters.

With your help, we will continue to raise awareness and hold the Ford PCs to account when they copy the Wynne Liberals - or the current Trudeau government.

If you are able, please consider chipping in (by clicking here) to help us keep building the New Blue Party. 

Thank you for your continued support!

Belinda Karahalios
New Blue Party of Ontario