GAJE expresses best wishes and abiding hope for success and high achievement for Lisa Thompson, Ontario’s newly appointed Minister of Education and to Sam Oosterhoff, the newly appointed parliamentary assistant to the minister of education.
Along with the Health portfolio, Education is one of the two key governmental responsibilities that – more than the other important responsibilities – safeguard of our way of life and ensures the perpetuation of the cherished, bedrock values of our civilization and democracy.
Good luck to Ms. Thompson and to Mr. Oosterhoff in the joint carriage of their weighty responsibilities.
Of course, within the Education-related portfolio of responsibilities is the need to restore some measure of fairness to the government’s education funding policies.
To that end, for the information of the minister, her parliamentary assistant and their respective staffs, we point to a recently announced educational funding initiative by one of Ontario’s neighbouring states. (A GAJE supporter brought the initiative to our attention.)
•••
Pennsylvania has passed an annual budget that includes “record funding” for Jewish day schools. In particular, the state has allocated more funding to enhance the safety and security of non-public schools as well as enhanced scholarship funding to non-public schools to enable more low-and-middle income families to enrol their children in day schools.
To be sure, educational programming, delivery and funding in Pennsylvania are different than in Ontario. But the example of governments acknowledging – through pragmatic budgetary action – the importance of independent schools in fostering excellence in education and the perpetuation of precious, common values through diverse citizenship, should be noted and followed.
For the full story, see: https://teachadvocacy.org/news/record-funding-jewish-day-schools-pennsylvania-budget/.
•••
Shabbat Shalom.
GAJE
Grassroots for Affordable Jewish Education 