9 | durhamregion.com This Week | |Thursday, August 11, 2022 region.com DURHAM'S NATURAL STONE SUPPLIER ● SOIL ● ● MULCH ● ● LANDSCAPE LIGHTING ● ● POND SUPPLIES ● FOR CONTRACTORS AND HOMEOWNERS 4900 Thickson Road N., Whitby, ON, L1R 2W9 | (905) 655-9954 Mon-Thurs 7am-6pm, Fri 7am-5pm | Sat 8am - 2pm Closed Sunday AGGREGATE DECORATIVE STONE INTERLOCK NATURAL STONE Family Owned And Operated Since 1953Family Owned And Operated Since 1953 733 KINGSTON RD. E. AJAX MON-WED/SAT: 9AM-6pM, THURS/FRI: 9AM-7pM SUN AND HOlIDAyS: 10AM-5pM WHIlE QUANTITIES lAST @macmillanorchards1953 HAND MADE... • Waffle Cones • Cups • Take Home Containers We've been churning out the GTA's best fro-yo since 1985! BEAT THE HEAT!! WHIRLED FAMOUS Come September, students in Durham Region and around Ontario will head back to the classroom. On Monday, July 25, provincial Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced the government wants kids back in classrooms after more than two years of pandemic disruptions. "Our government is looking ahead as we remain squarely focused on ensuring students receive the best stable learning experience possible, and that starts with them being in class, on time, with all of the experiences students deserve," Lecce said. Lecce spoke at Viola Desmond Elementary School in Ajax, alongside former Durham board trustee Patrice Barnes, who was elected MPP in the June 2 election and is now his parliamentary assistant. "We have a plan for students to catch up, including the largest tutoring program in Ontario's history, a modernized skills-focused curriculum to prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow and enhanced mental health supports," he added. Called Ontario's Plan to Catch Up, the initiative has five key components: • Getting kids back in classrooms in September, on time, with a full school experience that includes extracurricular activities like clubs, band and field trips; • New tutoring supports to fill gaps in learning; • Preparing students for the jobs of tomorrow; • Providing more money to build schools and improve education; and • Helping students with historic funding for mental health supports. The plan includes a parental option to continue remote learning. "With almost 50,000 children benefiting from Ontario's tutoring investments every week, and summer learning programs underway provincewide, Ontario's plan is getting students back on track," Lecce said. "With an emphasis on getting back to basics, our government is focused on strengthening life and job skills in the classroom, so that students graduate as financially literate, technologically savvy, emotionally intelligent leaders, ready for the jobs of tomorrow," he noted. The New Democratic Party, the official opposition party, slammed the announcement, saying it's a rehash of a government announcement made in April, before the recent provincial election. NDP education critic Marit Stiles said, "Teachers and education workers are being laid off. Our kids' class sizes are far too big and growing. Children still aren't getting anywhere near enough support for their mental health. And teachers and education workers are leaving because they're feeling disrespected by the PC government. What we needed to hear from Stephen Lecce today is that the government is increasing the education budget, not that they're holding the line. "This funding wasn't good enough when the Conservative government announced it months ago, and it's not good enough today," she added. DURHAM STUDENTS BACK IN THE CLASSROOM IN SEPTEMBER Provincial Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced the government's Plan To Catch Up program at Viola Davis Elementary School in Ajax on Monday, July 25. The plan includes students returning to the classroom full-time in September. Star file photo KEITH GILLIGAN kgilligan@durham region.com EDUCATION