Education Minister Stephen Lecce tabled legislation on Monday that would increase provincial control over the education system in some key areas.
Before the bill was tabled Monday afternoon, ministry officials briefed the media on the goals of the Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act.
If passed, it would:
- allow the province to set priorities on student achievement and require school boards to implement and report on multi-year action plans on those priorities;
- strengthen requirements for school boards to report on their spending;
- require boards to co-operate with municipalities on child-care planning;
- give the province regulation-making power to enable the accelerated apprenticeship pathway already announced by the province for consultations beginning in the fall;
- set up standardized training for trustees and school board officials to ensure "they have the skills and competencies to deliver on provincial priorities;"
- create processes under the integrity commissioner to resolve code-of-conduct complaints;
- create a standardized performance appraisal process for directors of education;
- allow the Ministry of Education to work with the Ontario College of Teachers and faculties of education on teacher education;
- expand eligibility of an Ontario College of Teachers program to support victims of alleged sexual abuse by members;
- speed up disciplinary processes in sexual abuse cases;
- and give the province the authority to establish formal guidelines from the curriculum review process.
Another section of the bill proposes to "maximize capital assets" with several new measures.
They include allowing the ministry to direct a school board to sell, or otherwise dispose of, school sites or property if it is not needed to meet current or future student needs. Regulations would be established that would give the province the first right of refusal of that property, to identify if it's needed by another school board covering the same area and, if not, other provincial priorities, including long-term care and affordable housing. If it is not needed for those purposes, it would be sold on the open market.
The legislation would also make it easier for schools to be built in multi-use buildings, including condos. It would also set our requirements for joint-use facilities — the shared use of school buildings by separate boards — after consultations with trustee associations.
It would also require school boards to use particular functional specifications, designs or plans when building, renovating or making additions to schools.
Lecce is scheduled to speak with the media about the legislation on Monday afternoon.
More to come
