QUEEN'S PARK - MPP Peggy Sattler brought the concerns of the W Sherwood Fox school community to Queen's Park. The school council, students, and parents wrote dozens of letters to the Thames Valley District School Board pleading for help to end the regular occurrence of violent incidents and lockdowns.
"My question is to the Premier. The W. Sherwood Fox school council, along with more than 30 students and parents, sent a package of letters to the Thames Valley District School Board pleading for help. Daily violent incident and code yellow lockdowns, more frequent than ever before, have left students feeling scared and anxious about going to school. Parents feel desperate, and they worry every morning when they drop off their kids. Every student’s learning is being disrupted, and the entire school community is being traumatized.
What specific actions will this government take now to deal with the alarming rise in violence at W. Sherwood Fox Public School in London and schools across this province?
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Sherwood Fox desperately needs more EAs. It needs a funded sensory room. It needs regular ongoing support from social workers, psychologists, OTs, school support counsellors, child and youth workers and others. But this school is not unique. This government’s chronic underfunding of public education is failing Ontario students, especially students with special needs. The Thames Valley District School Board is spending $5 million more on spec ed than it is receiving while violence in school escalates and staff injuries increase.
Speaker, will this government commit today to provide the funding our schools need so they are safe for students, staff and parents?"