All class sizes in Ontario public schools would be capped at 20 students, Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca promised Thursday on the June 2 election trail.
The move, designed to give kids more one-on-one instruction after months of at-home learning, would require the hiring of 10,000 more teachers, he said at a park between two schools in his former riding of Woodbridge-Vaughan.
He acknowledged the cap wouldn’t happen until more teachers are hired and more space is created by building and renovating schools.
“For sure it’s going to take some time,” he told reporters.
Schools with the largest classes or the highest-need areas would be prioritized under the $1-billion plan, which would also scrap mandatory online classes, Del Duca said.
The money to fund it would come from killing Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford’s push to build Highway 413, freeing up cash to build 200 new schools and repair 4,500.
In the event of a minority government, Del Duca said he’d be willing to work with other parties to improve public education.
“For me, it’s not about politics, it’s about progress.”
Del Duca is hoping to win the suburban riding back after losing it to Conservative Michael Tibollo in Ford’s 2018 sweep. Tibollo has served in Ford’s cabinet.
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