A Toronto Catholic District School Board trustee is launching a campaign to convince the provincial government to reinstate the board's soon-to-be-cancelled international languages program. Maria Rizzo, a former chair of the TCDSB, says she has gathered support from fellow trustees as well as provincial and federal politicians.
In late March, the provincial education ministry announced the program would be cut from the TCDSB daily curriculum because it violates the provincial Education Act, which does not include international languages in its list of courses that can be taught during the typical 300-minute school day.
The cancellation will eliminate approximately 77 teaching jobs in September when the new school year begins, according to CUPE Local 3155 president Val DiGregorio, who is herself an international languages teacher. DiGregorio said she was blindsided by the province's decision.
Rizzo emphasised that the program costs about $6 million annually to operate, but is entirely funded by the school board and the province "doesn't fund a penny". "We scrimp a nickel here and a dime there, because we know this is an important program for our students and our families," she said.
The campaign faces criticism from those who argue international language learning is not the best use of classroom time.
