News Release – Jones: Calls on Government to Put Students First
(Queen’s Park) – Below is the transcript of MPP Sylvia Jones’ statement to the Ontario Legislature on October 31st, 2017 regarding the ongoing college strike.
“The Ontario college strike is now in its third week—three weeks where students have been out of the classroom and away from their teachers and peers. I’ve received many calls and emails from students and parents in Dufferin–Caledon who are concerned about the impact it’s having on their education,” said Jones.
“A quote from one parent: ‘Our son has worked extremely hard to pay for his tuition … and it is unacceptable that he … sits idle at home during the strike. Another student wrote me to say, ‘This … dispute is putting the future of students and our province in uncertainty. We hope that you recognize this problem and work with all sides to find a solution as quickly as possible,” said Jones.
“A long strike will leave our students behind. Students and parents work hard to get their children to college. They’ve already paid their tuition. They’re paying rent. Depending on the length of the strike, it may delay students in starting summer jobs, further hurting their ability to continue going to school,” said Jones.
“The minister said, ‘We want both sides back together and we want to reach an agreement as soon as possible.’ But the truth is, the two sides haven’t had a single meeting since the strike began three weeks ago,” said Jones.
“The minister needs to articulate exactly what she’s going to do to ensure our students get the education they deserve,” said Jones.
“Let’s put our students first,” said Jones.
On November 2nd the two parties are scheduled to meet for the first time since faculty went on strike on October 16th.
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