Are you ready for back-to-school?
myFM News spoke with Milton MPP Parm Gill to discuss the back-to-school plans.
He says parents should feel comfortable knowing the plan has been approved by the provinces top medical experts.
Gill is a father of three, including one son going into tenth grade. He says they will be going back to school on Monday, September 14th.
A big concern has been the possibility of a second wave.
The Milton MPP says the province is more ready for the second wave than they were for the first.
The teachers unions and the province have continuously argued about the back-to-school plan during the COVID-19 pandemic. The tension has carried over from the last school year, which was marred by teacher strikes.
MPP Gill says that it’s nothing new to see the two groups go back-and-forth about issues, and it’s a trend that dates back to previous governments.
Balancing the budget was one of the top priorities of the Ford government when they took power in 2018. That’s a tough task for any government, but the difficulty is exponentially harder during a pandemic.
Gill says the focus right now is not about balancing the budget because they have a greater task at-hand. He feels the resources that they need to invest in are being obtained in order to keep residents safe, including healthcare.
Provincial Finance Minister Rod Phillips will provide an update to the budget this fall.
As of publication, the first day of school is scheduled for Monday, September 14th – delayed from the usual day-after-Labour Day start date.