Haliburton’s MPP says there is a lot of good coming from the changes to the education system.
Laurie Scott spoke with MyHaliburtonNow.com after her colleague Lisa Thompson announced a series of changes coming to education in Ontario.
“There’s a lot that was brought out, and there is still some consultation that we’re going to be doing in regards to teachers’ hiring practices,” Scott said.
Included in the changes to the education system is the expansion of broadband into classrooms, which Scott emphasized as important to modernize learning. Scott said the increased broadband will improve each school’s ability to use E-learning and technology.
She also pointed out that the proposed ban on cellphones was very well received among parents, saying that she heard 97 per cent of parents wanted some form of a ban on cellphones.
“You have to ban cellphones that are just distractions and are not being used for educational purposes.”
Scott also suggested that phone use in young people has been tied to less sleep and poorer performance in the classroom.
One change that excited the minister was the idea of supporting teacher mobility. Teacher mobility is making it easier for teachers to move to different school boards.
There were also changes to the sex-ed curriculum which mean that gender identity and consent would be taught. Gender identity, however, won’t be taught until Grade Eight.