TORONTO — In response to a CityNews report about Ontario private schools falsifying grades, attendance records and report cards, Official Opposition Education Critic Marit Stiles is calling on the Ford government to act swiftly to protect the integrity of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) and reign in private schools.
“Private schools in Ontario are playing fast and loose with the rules while Doug Ford’s Minister of Education looks the other way,” said Stiles.
“These institutions are cashing-in on a ‘Wild West’ of lax oversight and students and families are paying the price. The Ford government and Minister Stephen Lecce should inspect these businesses, strengthen oversight, and take responsibility for protecting the integrity of the OSSD.”
These allegations of private school credit scams are being revealed just as a new American-backed lobby group, TeachON, sets up shop in Ontario to promote the use of public funds to support for-profit private schools.
“It’s no surprise these for-profit companies are circling Ontario’s public education sector just as Doug Ford is weakening our public schools with damaging cuts” added Stiles. “Ford needs to be up front with Ontarians and commit, unequivocally, that public dollars won’t be siphoned off to private schools, and private school students will be subject to the same rules as everyone else."