Public school board officials are considering cancelling public election debates after getting a poor response from candidates running in the upcoming provincial election.
The Peel District School Board and the Ontario Public School Boards Association (OPSBA) were hoping to engage candidates vying for votes in the Oct. 6 vote in public discussion on education issues. The Peel board, which has been complaining for years about insufficient and inequitable funding from the provincial government, has been encouraging parents, educators and other stakeholders in public education to ask candidates about their positions on local education issues.
The board had planned to host five separate all-candidate debates in Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon schools. These evening sessions were designed to give candidates a chance to share their views and party policy on public education. Parents, meanwhile, would have an opportunity to have their questions answered.
The first two meetings were set for Thursday in Mississauga and Caledon. But, Peel Board Chair Janet McDougald said Friday that very few of the candidates even bothered to respond to invitations to attend.
Board officials are considering cancelling the events if there are no candidates or too few are prepared to participate, McDougald said.
“We’ve had very disappointing response,” she remarked.
Without a fair representation of the candidates at the meetings, it would not be worthwhile for parents and others to attend, she said.
Education is an extremely important issue in the local community, McDougald pointed out. The candidates talk a lot about education and it is covered in election platforms, but they don’t appear willing to spend a few hours talking to parents about those issues, she said.
Candidate meetings are also scheduled for Bramalea-Gore-Malton and Brampton-Springdale on Sept. 20 and Mississauga-Brampton South and Brampton West on Sept. 22. The board is still waiting for responses from candidates in those ridings.
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