By Julian Heller

We say that our children’s education and health are the most important things we can take care for as a society. So then why do we not do that?

As school gets set to start again in September, consider these points:

1. Our provincial income taxes pay for our public (including Catholic) schools:

2. How much money each local school board across the province receives is based on a formula that has been criticized as insufficient since the Mike Harris Conservatives brought it in the late 1990’s;

3. Local school boards, in existence since before Confederation in 1867 as democratically elected managers and decision makers responsible for their local residents have been stripped of both their traditional power to decide how much money is needed to operate good schools, and their ability to set taxes in order to be able to do that:

4. Yet, individually public schools can raise money for their own school population by private donations, to ensure that their children have those needed “extras”, but of course those are not extras at all.

So when your child walks into school this September find out if your school has any of the following; a designated librarian in a room specifically designated as a library, and how many books are there, and how new those books are.

A designated music teacher in a room specifically designated as a music room. If there are instruments be sure to find out about the condition of those instruments.

A designated gym teacher with equipment for various activities, as well as an art teacher in a room designated as an art room, check for art supplies as well.

Check if your child’s school has a psychologist, hall monitor, and lunchroom with designated lunchroom supervisors, computers, a playground, a sports team, and various language courses.

Most parents will be disappointed to find that the Provincial Government underfunds their children’s schools. It is important for parents to come together and ask the Premier of Ontario to invest your tax money back to your local school board, so you can elect School Trustees with the power to decide what type of schools our children deserve.

Share your thoughts about the resources available at your child’s school by emailing us at

info@downsviewadvocate.ca