Lindo: Ford must act now to cap class sizes at 15

KITCHENER — NDP MPP Laura Mae Lindo (Kitchener Centre) has issued a statement following news that another new case of COVID-19 has been identified at a school in Kitchener:

“I am deeply concerned to learn of a new case of COVID-19 at a school in Kitchener, and I wish the student a speedy recovery. We need to do much more to protect our kids and keep them safe as COVID-19 accelerates once again in our region.

Families should never have to choose between their kids’ health and safety and their education, but that’s exactly what the Ford government is forcing them to do. Students are either heading back into crowded classrooms as COVID-19 infections circulate at in our community or have been stuck waiting at home for online classes to start, slipping further and further behind. This latest case once again shows the Ford government has not done nearly enough to keep kids and staff safe as we face a second wave of this virus in our communities.

The Official Opposition NDP, together with parents and public health experts, have been urging Ford to cap classes at 15 students and reduce numbers on school buses to 50 per cent capacity. Ford still refuses to listen, and is putting more kids at risk by allowing the virus to spread in our schools.

With cases surging across the province, the Ford government must to act immediately on the NDP’s call to cap class sizes at 15, and make school buses safer, so we can better protect students and educators in Kitchener and across the region.”