McGuinty calls for moratorium on school closings

If Ontario Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty gets his way, school boards will have to wait until at least November before deciding whether to close enrollment-declining schools.

Three days after two Algoma District School Board trustees announced their wish to have Searchmont's only school closed, McGuinty called Friday for a moratorium on school closings.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the Ontario Public School Boards Association at the Sault's Holiday Inn, the opposition leader said it's sometimes necessary to close schools, but some boards are being forced to do so by deficiencies in the provincial funding formula.

He says no school closings should be contemplated until the province releases its new funding formula, which McGuinty said will probably happen in November.

McGuinty's budget wish list

With a provincial budget coming down on Monday (finance minister Janet Ecker on Friday invited photographers to the traditional new-shoe photo opportunity, Sunday at the Roots store at Toronto's Eaton Centre), McGuinty says he'll be looking for two things.

"I'll be looking for cancellation of the private school tax credit," he said. "And I'll be looking for cancellation of the $2.2 billion tax break for corporations."

The Liberal leader accused the governing Conservatives of suffering from a "poverty of ambition" when it comes to public education.

"I don't see education as an expense. I see it as an investment," McGuinty said.

'I want to get more out of our teachers'

The opposition leader said more must be done to help special-needs children. "We can't nickel-and-dime these kids. They need our help."

"I want to get more out of our teachers," McGuinty said, "but I will not use the approach used by this government."

Television ads accusing Ontario's teachers of laziness are hardly motivational, he told the Sault audience.

McGuinty called for smaller class sizes, and for promotion of "lighthouse schools" that would serve as an examples to others.

He also proposed greater choice within the public school system.

Character education

For example, parents should be allowed to choose their childrens' schools, as long as space is available and neither school boards nor the province are saddled with transportation costs.

McGuinty also called for "character education" that would instill values including respect, honesty, responsibility and fairness.

He also called for measures to control bullying in Ontario schools. "We've got to do for bullying what we've done for drinking and driving - make it socially unacceptable," he said.

The Public School Boards Association conference continues until Sunday.

Holiday Inn crawling with politicians

Ontario Education Minister Elizabeth Witmer is to speak at a dinner session on Saturday.

Howard Hampton, the province's NDP leader, was scheduled to make a luncheon speech on Saturday but has cancelled, organizers said. In his place, Hampton's sending Rosario Marchese, his party's education critic.

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