On Wednesday, protesters gathered at Queen's Park, voicing accusations against the Ford government for allegedly undermining the education system to create a crisis that would justify the reintroduction of police officers in schools. Advocates argue that ensuring school safety requires increased funding for education workers, child and youth workers, mental health supports, guidance counselors, and social workers.
Critics of Bill 33, known as the Supporting Children and Students Act, assert that the legislation fails to allocate funds for these essential supports. Instead, the bill mandates that school boards collaborate with local police services, granting them access to school premises and allowing them to participate in school programs, including the implementation of school resource officer programs.
Andrea Vásquez Jiménez, the director of Policing-Free Schools, expressed that the bill represents an attack on all students in Ontario. In response, a spokesperson for the Ford government claimed that school resource officer programs promote positive relationships between students and law enforcement, thereby enhancing school safety.
Jiménez contested this assertion, stating, “There’s absolutely no evidence that their presence decreases violence within school spaces.” The Toronto District School Board discontinued its school resource officer program in 2017 following a survey that revealed many students felt intimidated and targeted. Since Doug Ford assumed office in 2018, data from various teachers' unions has indicated a staggering 77 percent increase in violence in Ontario schools.
Furthermore, Bill 33 is perceived as granting the Ford government excessive control over school boards. The Education Minister has hinted at the possibility of abolishing elected trustees. Ford commented, “People are done with these school trustees wasting money, and they’re done with a lot of these school boards, so we’re going to hold them accountable,” during a separate announcement in the Greater Toronto Area.
NDP MPP Jill Andrews responded, “I’m not sure who the ‘they’s’ are in Doug Ford’s world, but I do know trustees were democratically elected to serve their communities.” Jiménez further argued that the bill paves the way for the potential elimination of school boards and the privatization of education.
The Education Minister's office has announced plans to continue consulting with police agencies in the upcoming months regarding the reintroduction of school resource officers. However, while the Toronto Police Association supports the province's initiative, the Toronto police stated in July that they would not be reinstating school resource officers, opting instead to interact with schools only when invited for presentations or when responding to service calls.
