Protecting Frontline Education Workers

Multiple schools across the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) have reported dangerous levels of lead in drinking water. MPP Blais asked the Minister of Education why he and his government are allowing critical frontline education staff, such as custodians and tradespeople, to be laid off at a time when parents are losing trust and confidence in our education system.

Clean classrooms, safe buildings, water parents can trust. These are the basics that confidence is based on. But in Ottawa, that confidence is shaken.

Schools have unsafe levels of lead in the drinking water, posing real health concerns for their kids. And parents are rightly concerned about that. Custodians who work late into the night to keep schools clean, to ensure that they're safe, safe for learning, safe for community use. These are the very people that this government is allowing to be laid off by the Ottawa Carlton District School Board. How can parents have confidence in school safety when the government is allowing cuts to the very men and women who are charged with keeping our schools clean and safe?

Dissatisfied with the Minister of Education's response MPP Stephen Blais called for a “late-show” debate to answer his important question around layoffs to critical frontline education workers at the OCDSB.