1. IMPACT
OF SCHOOL FEES ON LOW INCOME FAMILIES INCIDENCE DES FRAIS DE
SCOLARITÉ SUR LES FAMILLES À FAIBLE REVENU |
That Council approve:
1.
That the City of Ottawa write the Minister of
Education, the Minister of Community and Social Services, and other
appropriate agencies (including area MPPs) for the Province of Ontario, and
to the Chairs and Directors of Education of the four Ottawa Boards of
Educations to:
a.
raise the concern of the increasing financial burden of
school fees on its poorer families, in the face of the rising costs of the
basic necessities to raise a healthy family; and
b.
ask the Minister to ensure that the cost of essentials
for any program of Public Education are fully funded by the Ministry and not in
any way downloaded onto individual students and their families without their
fully informed and voluntary consent.
2.
That the City of Ottawa, during renegotiating of the
Ottawa/Municipal Act seek a formal mandate and mechanism to engage with the
local school boards within its boundaries; as both being legally constituted
governing bodies under Provincial legislation, elected by the same citizens; to
collaborate on common matters affecting the health, well-being and realization
of the innate potential of the children within their overlapping jurisdictions
and by extension their families; as well as creating a forum for addressing
solutions to the added financial demands on both their own available resources
and those of low-income families within their areas of jurisdiction.
3.
That the City of Ottawa communicate with the other
member municipalities of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario urging
them to consider similar initiatives to protect, not just the most vulnerable
in their communities, but the basic principle of universal access to Public
Education in Ontario.
4.
That the City of Ottawa through the Community and
Protective Services Department establish a Liaison/Working Group with the four
local school boards in Ottawa; to include representation from principals,
school councils and established groups working to reduce child and family
poverty, etc., to ensure that funds provided to low-income clients for basic
needs are not being diverted to pay for anything deemed essential to a course
of study under the Ontario Education Act and that low-income parents in
particular are informed of any and all subsidies available for course
enhancements not covered under the Act; directly in writing, in a way that does
not require children to act as go-betweens on financial matters; and prevents
their embarrassment and stigmatization in front of their schoolmates.
5.
That should a mechanism to inform these parents of the
limits of their fee obligations under the Education Act not be in place
and communicated to parents by June 2006, that the Employment and Financial
Assistance Branch of the City of Ottawa include an insert in their August
cheques to Ontario Works recipients that includes the back to school allowance
and that clearly explains the recipient’s rights and obligations under the Education
Act and informs them that this allowance is intended to assist with the
many added costs of preparing their growing children for the new school year
and that they are not legally obliged to use this allowance on fees for course
books, materials etc. that are essential to any program of study offered under
the Provincial Education Act and therefore should be paid for under the
budgetary provisions of the Act.
6. That
recommendations 4 & 5 [see above] be referred to staff for review and
recommendation and come back to Committee by June 2006.
7.
That Recommendations 1, 2 and 3 of this report be
forwarded to all Advisory Committees of the City of Ottawa for their
information, support and endorsement.
RECOMMENDATIONS MODIFIÉES DU COMITÉ
Que le Conseil approuve :
1.
Que
la Ville d’Ottawa écrive au ministre de l’Éducation, au ministre des
Services sociaux et communautaires et aux autres organismes communautaires et
aux autres organismes compétents du gouvernement de l’Ontario (y compris aux
députés provinciaux), ainsi qu’aux présidents et auc directeurs de
l’education des quatre conseils scolaires d’Ottawa;
a.
pour
souligner le problème de la hausse du fardeau financier des frais de scolarité
sur les familles les plus pauvres, face aux coûts toujours plus élevés des
besoins fondamentaux nécessaires pour élever sainement une famille;
b.
pour
lui demander de veiller à ce que les coûts des biens de première nécessité de
tout programme d’enseignement public soient
entièrement informés et sans leur consentement.
2. Que la Ville d’Ottawa, lors des nouvelles négociations sur
la Loi sur les municipalités/sur la Ville d’Ottawa et si jugé nécessaire,
demande un mandat officiel et les mécanismes nécessaires pour s’engager auprès
des conseils scolaires constitués sur son territoire, les deux corps
administratifs étant régis par la législation provinciale et élus par les mêmes
citoyens, pour collaborer sur les sujets communs touchant la santé, le
bien-être et la réalisation du potentiel inné des enfants présents sur leur
territoire commun et, par extension, de leurs familles; et pour créer un forum
permettant de rechercher des solutions aux pressions financières
supplémentaires exercées sur leur propres ressources et sur celles des familles
à faible revenu présentes sur leur territoire de compétence.
3. Que la Ville d’Ottawa communique avec les autres membres de
l’Association des municipalités de l'Ontario afin de leur demander d’envisager
la tenue d’initiatives semblables pour protéger non seulement les plus
vulnérables de leur communauté mais également le principe fondamental d’accès
universel à l’enseignement public en Ontario.
4. Que la Ville d’Ottawa, par le biais des Services de
protection et d’urgence, établisse un groupe de travail/liaison avec les quatre
conseils scolaires d’Ottawa, comprenant une représentation de directeurs
d’école, de conseils scolaires et de groupes constitués dont la vocation est de
réduire la pauvreté chez les enfants et leurs familles, etc.; qu’elle s’assure
que les fonds attribués aux résidents à faible revenu pour leurs besoins
fondamentaux ne soient pas détournés pour payer quoi que ce soit d’autre jugé
essentiel pour la scolarité en vertu de la Loi sur l’éducation de
l’Ontario et que les parents à faible revenu en particulier soient informés de
toute subvention disponible pour l’enrichissement scolaire et non stipulé par
la Loi; directement par écrit, de manière à éviter aux enfants de faire
office d’intermédiaires sur les questions financières et à éviter de les mettre
dans l’embarras et de les stigmatiser devant leurs camarades de classe.
5.
Que,
si aucun mécanisme permettant d’informer ces parents des limites des leurs
obligations de frais de scolarité en vertu de la Loi sur l’éducation
n’est mis en place et communiqué aux parents d’ici à juin 2006, EAF ajoute un
encart dans leurs vérifications d’août comprenant l’allocation de retour à
l’école, expliquant clairement les droits et les obligations des bénéficiaires
en vertu de la Loi sur l’éducation et les informant que cette allocation
est destinée à les aider à assumer les coûts toujours croissants liés à la
préparation de leurs enfants à la nouvelle année scolaire, et qu’ils ne sont
pas légalement tenus d’utiliser cette allocation pour l’achat de livres
scolaires, de matériel, etc. essentiels à tout programme d’étude offert en
vertu de la Loi sur l’éducation de l’Ontario et devant être, par
conséquent, remboursés en vertu des dispositions budgétaires de la Loi.
6. Que
les recommendations 4 et 5 [voir ci-dessus] soient soumises au personnel pour
examen et recommendation et qu’elles soient renvoyées au Comité d’ici au mois
de juin 2006.
7. Que
les recommendations 1, 2 et 3 du présent rapport soient communiquées à tous les
comités consultatifs de la Ville d’Ottawa, pour information, appui et
approbation.
DOCUMENTATION
1.
Vice-Chair, Poverty Issues Advisory Committee
report dated 25 October 2005 (ACS2005-CCV-POI-0004).
2.
Extract of Draft Minutes, 19 January 2006.
Report to/Rapport
au:
Health, Recreation
and Social Services Committee/
Comité de la santé, des loisirs et des services
sociaux
and Council/et au Conseil
25 October 2005 / le 25 octobre 2005
Submitted by/Soumis par : Vice-Chair, Poverty Issues Advisory
Committee/
Vice-Président(e), Comité
consultatif sur les questions liées à la pauvreté
Contact/Personne-ressource: B. Emond,
Committee
Coordinator/coordonnatrice du comité
|
|
Ref N°:
ACS2005-CCV-POI-0004 |
SUBJECT: POVERTY ISSUES ADVISORY COMMITTEE – IMPACT OF SCHOOL FEES ON LOW
INCOME FAMILIES
OBJET: COMITÉ CONSULTATIF SUR LES QUESTIONS LIÉES À LA PAUVRETÉ – INCIDENCE DES FRAIS DE SCOLARITÉ SUR
LES FAMILLES À FAIBLE REVENU
REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Poverty Issues
Advisory Committee recommend that the Health, Recreation and Social Services
Committee recommend that Council approve:
1.
That the City of Ottawa write the Minister of Education
for the Province of Ontario, and to the Chairs and Directors of Education of
the four Ottawa Boards of Educations to:
a.
raise the concern of the increasing financial burden of
school fees on its poorer families, in the face of the rising costs of the
basic necessities to raise a healthy family; and
b.
ask the Minister to ensure that the cost of essentials
for any program of Public Education are fully funded by the Ministry and not in
any way downloaded onto individual students and their families without their
fully informed and voluntary consent.
2.
That the City of Ottawa, during renegotiating of the
Ottawa/Municipal Act seek a formal mandate and mechanism to engage with the
local school boards within its boundaries; as both being legally constituted
governing bodies under Provincial legislation, elected by the same citizens; to
collaborate on common matters affecting the health, well-being and realization
of the innate potential of the children within their overlapping jurisdictions
and by extension their families; as well as creating a forum for addressing solutions
to the added financial demands on both their own available resources and those
of low-income families within their areas of jurisdiction.
3.
That the City of Ottawa communicate with the other
member municipalities of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario urging
them to consider similar initiatives to protect, not just the most vulnerable
in their communities, but the basic principle of universal access to Public
Education in Ontario.
4.
That the City of Ottawa through the Community and
Protective Services Department establish a Liaison/Working Group with the four
local school boards in Ottawa; to include representation from principals,
school councils and established groups working to reduce child and family
poverty, etc., to ensure that funds provided to low-income clients for basic
needs are not being diverted to pay for anything deemed essential to a course
of study under the Ontario Education Act and that low-income parents in
particular are informed of any and all subsidies available for course
enhancements not covered under the Act; directly in writing, in a way that does
not require children to act as go-betweens on financial matters; and prevents
their embarrassment and stigmatization in front of their schoolmates.
5.
That should a mechanism to inform these parents of the
limits of their fee obligations under the Education Act not be in place
and communicated to parents by June 2006, that the Employment and Financial
Assistance Branch of the City of Ottawa include an insert in their August cheques
to Ontario Works recipients that includes the back to school allowance and that
clearly explains the recipient’s rights and obligations under the Education
Act and informs them that this allowance is intended to assist with the
many added costs of preparing their growing children for the new school year
and that they are not legally obliged to use this allowance on fees for course
books, materials etc. that are essential to any program of study offered under
the Provincial Education Act and therefore should be paid for under the
budgetary provisions of the Act.
6.
That these recommendations be forwarded to all Advisory
Committees of the City of Ottawa for their information, support and
endorsement.
Que le Comité consultatif sur les questions liées à la
pauvreté recommande
que le Comité de la santé, des loisirs et des services sociaux recommande au
Conseil d’approuver:
1. Que la Ville d’Ottawa écrive au ministre de l’Éducation de
l’Ontario et aux présidents et aux directeurs de l’éducation des quatre
conseils scolaires;
a. pour souligner le problème de la hausse du
fardeau financier des frais de scolarité sur les familles les plus pauvres,
face aux coûts toujours plus élevés des besoins fondamentaux nécessaires pour
élever sainement une famille;
b. pour lui demander de veiller à ce que les
coûts des biens de première nécessité de tout programme d’enseignement public
soient entièrement financés par le ministère et d’aucune façon transférés aux
élèves et à leurs familles sans qu’ils en soient entièrement informés et sans
leur consentement.
2. Que la Ville d’Ottawa, lors des nouvelles négociations sur
la Loi sur les municipalités/sur la Ville d’Ottawa et si jugé nécessaire,
demande un mandat officiel et les mécanismes nécessaires pour s’engager auprès
des conseils scolaires constitués sur son territoire, les deux corps
administratifs étant régis par la législation provinciale et élus par les mêmes
citoyens, pour collaborer sur les sujets communs touchant la santé, le
bien-être et la réalisation du potentiel inné des enfants présents sur leur
territoire commun et, par extension, de leurs familles; et pour créer un forum
permettant de rechercher des solutions aux pressions financières
supplémentaires exercées sur leur propres ressources et sur celles des familles
à faible revenu présentes sur leur territoire de compétence.
3. Que la Ville d’Ottawa communique avec les autres membres de
l’Association des municipalités de l'Ontario afin de leur demander d’envisager
la tenue d’initiatives semblables pour protéger non seulement les plus
vulnérables de leur communauté mais également le principe fondamental d’accès
universel à l’enseignement public en Ontario.
4. Que la Ville d’Ottawa, par le biais des Services de
protection et d’urgence, établisse un groupe de travail/liaison avec les quatre
conseils scolaires d’Ottawa, comprenant une représentation de directeurs
d’école, de conseils scolaires et de groupes constitués dont la vocation est de
réduire la pauvreté chez les enfants et leurs familles, etc.; qu’elle s’assure
que les fonds attribués aux résidents à faible revenu pour leurs besoins
fondamentaux ne soient pas détournés pour payer quoi que ce soit d’autre jugé
essentiel pour la scolarité en vertu de la Loi sur l’éducation de
l’Ontario et que les parents à faible revenu en particulier soient informés de
toute subvention disponible pour l’enrichissement scolaire et non stipulé par
la Loi; directement par écrit, de manière à éviter aux enfants de faire
office d’intermédiaires sur les questions financières et à éviter de les mettre
dans l’embarras et de les stigmatiser devant leurs camarades de classe.
5. Que, si aucun mécanisme permettant d’informer ces parents
des limites des leurs obligations de frais de scolarité en vertu de la Loi
sur l’éducation n’est mis en place et communiqué aux parents d’ici à juin
2006, EAF ajoute un encart dans leurs vérifications d’août comprenant
l’allocation de retour à l’école, expliquant clairement les droits et les
obligations des bénéficiaires en vertu de la Loi sur l’éducation et les
informant que cette allocation est destinée à les aider à assumer les coûts
toujours croissants liés à la préparation de leurs enfants à la nouvelle année
scolaire, et qu’ils ne sont pas légalement tenus d’utiliser cette allocation
pour l’achat de livres scolaires, de matériel, etc. essentiels à tout
programme d’étude offert en vertu de la Loi sur l’éducation de l’Ontario
et devant être, par conséquent, remboursés en vertu des dispositions
budgétaires de la Loi.
6. Que ces recommandations soient portées à l’attention des
membres de tous les comités consultatifs, à titre d’information, de soutien et
d’approbation.
For more than a month now, Adequate Income and Support Sub-Committee (AI&S) has been gathering information and documentation from a number of sources and has been in communication with groups and individuals that have been active for some years in seeking an end to school fees in general and fees for anything essential to successfully completing a program or course of study in particular. Generally they contend that these fees and the inconsistent and often demeaning methods used to collect fees at the individual School and classroom level are disproportionately hurting the children of low-income families and undermining the principle of universal access to Public Education.
Under the Education Act of Ontario, section 32.(1) states “Resident pupil right to attend school - A person has the right, without payment of a fee, to attend a school in a school section, separate school zone or secondary school district, as the case may be, in which the person is qualified to be a resident pupil.” It further states that it is the duty of school boards to “…provide, without charge, for the use of the pupils attending the school or schools operated by the Board, the textbooks that are required by the regulations to be purchased by the board;” [Education Act, s. 170(1) 13]. By this definition, if something is required for students’ education, then no fee should be charged. Timetables, workbooks, and agendas would all seem to fall into the category of essential items. In schools where music is a required class, musical instruments would also seem to fall into the category of “essential”.
In March of 2005, the Ottawa Carleton District School Board established a set of Guidelines for the Administration of Student Fees which in essence classifies fees for course essentials as voluntary and placing the onus on the principals to ensure that this fact is effectively communicated to parents and student, including procedures for accessing subsidies for extras not mandated under the Act in a way that does not cause embarrassment and public exposure to those in need of these subsidies.
While it is laudable that the OCDSB is the only one of the four Ottawa Boards to develop such Guidelines, most schools where efforts were made to find out how the Guidelines were being implemented have not communicated them to parents and in some cases even to their own staff.
Clearly there is a funding shortfall in the Education system with various levels each blaming another and it ultimately falling on parents and students to make up for the funding shortages. In too many cases, students and parents are being shamed and coerced into paying for things that should be available without cost under the Education Act.
Some of the methods used to get parents… through their children to pay, are in direct violation of the principles and laws governing universal access to Public Education. They single out students in front of their classmates, exposing them to embarrassment and stigmatization that contributes to their social marginalization that further undermines these children’s attachment to the Education system.
A FEW EXAMPLES
REPORTED:
Above and beyond these unwarranted costs are the costs of things considered non-essential extras. Everything from Pizza Days, to field trips, to cultural events, to specific running shoes and the list goes on, all come as an added hardship on low-income families faced with the current cost of their basic necessities rising much faster than their income.
Often when parents just do not have the money, their kids get ‘sick’ the day of a costly “extra”. And it’s not as though these children don’t suffer a diminished educational experience by missing out on these extras. Many of these extras help to enhance their appreciation of what they learn in the classroom and the more social activities are invaluable in helping them develop skills needed to interact with and integrate with a broader cross section of the community.
These “non-essential” parts of school are considered to “enhance” the curriculum. We may ask why, in our system of universal education, some children should access “enhanced” education while others are denied that access. In some cases, these “non-essential” parts are included in students’ grades. For example, in one case that was reported to us, a student was told that she was not required to attend a particular event that would cost $20.00, but that what was learned at the event would constitute 40% of the term mark.
Some parents who are straining to make ends meet will cut back on household necessities just so their children are not singled out at school as “one of the Poor Kids”. This often goes beyond just paying for fees and extras; but extends to attempting to give their children some of the expensive clothes and gadgets that are common among their more affluent schoolmates. These and other parents that do not and just cannot go to these extremes to make sure their kids can fit in, still end up in the same Food Bank line ups or having to apply for other forms of temporary assistance to get them through, when these costs hit. Many who can, must also turn to the grandparents or other relatives and friends for help getting through to the end of the month. This is usually being done while the kids are at school so they do not have to know how strained their parents are.
These young people ride the fine and fickle line between social acceptance and rejection by their fellow students at school, based solely on the financial standing of their family. There are those who visit the homes of their better off friends and maybe at times stay for supper, but are forced to make excuses when their friends ask “How come we never go to your house?”. They know that the meager circumstances of their home lives could mark them for social exclusion at school if it became public knowledge.
It is also the meager circumstances of their home lives that are at the root of sick days other than those taken to avoid the cost of extras at school. When families are unable to keep up with the raising costs of just about everything needed to keep life and limb together, inevitably they must opt for the cheapest and generally sub-standard housing, eat meals that stave off hunger but too often fall far short of meeting the nutritional needs of growing children and cut back on other expenses that create the conditions for increased susceptibility to a host of illnesses and medical conditions that further undermine the academic potential of these children.
This two-tiered aspect of our education system that marginalizes children of low-income families has a direct impact on the increased probability of these children dropping out of school when they reach the higher grades where the financial demands and the economic disparities become more pronounced. Too many of them come to feel that they are at the bottom of an economic ladder that they have no hope of climbing. When this happens, not only does the child not get to benefit themselves or their community by reaching their full potential, they very often become locked into the cycle of generational poverty with all the attendant social and financial costs to society as a whole.
And while the City attempts to assist those in need to be able to provide the basic necessities for their families, a growing portion of that support is being diverted to pay for things that, by law, are supposed to be paid for through the Education system.
It also doesn’t help that the city has no mechanism to address problems like this when they threaten the well-being and potential contributions of its youngest and most promising citizens. In Ottawa there is now only one liaison committee that links the City and the School Boards and their mandate is restricted to the use of school facilities through Parks and Recreation.
At its 25 October 2005 meeting of the Poverty Issues Advisory Committee, the above-noted motion was unanimously approved.
Community and Protective
Services Department and the City’s Clerk’s Office
Community and Protective Services (CPS) supports the intent of the Poverty Issues Advisory Committee’s recommendations for the City of Ottawa to provide advocacy in raising the issue of the increasing financial burden of school fees on its poorer families in Ottawa as set out in Recommendations 1, 3 and 6.
With respect to Recommendation 2, which proposes that the City renegotiate the City of Ottawa Act or the Municipal Act, 2001 to seek a formal mandate and mechanism to engage with the school boards within its boundaries, it is respectfully submitted that this recommendation would not be within the legislative mandate of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. In effect, a separate negotiation would likely have to be undertaken with the Ministry of Education directly in order to affect any changes to the Education Act. Having said that, the legislative agenda at Queen’s Park is extremely limited and it is unlikely that such a mandate would be forthcoming from the Province of Ontario.
With respect to Recommendation 4, after amalgamation, a City-School Boards Liaison Committee was created and operated with support from the City Clerk’s Office. City Councillors and local school board trustees met on a quarterly basis to discuss common issues. However, in December 2003 Ottawa City Council dissolved the City School Board Liaison Committee. Briefly, the rationale underlying this decision can be found in the portion of the Governance Report set out below:
City-School Boards Liaison Committee – Dissolution
The following reflects the mandate of the City-School Board Liaison Committee:
Recognizing that, while the City of Ottawa and the four area school boards (Conseil des écoles catholiques de langue française du Centre-est; Ottawa-Carleton Catholic School Board; Ottawa-Carleton District School Board; and Conseil des écoles publiques de l’est de l’Ontario) are independent and autonomous entities, and that cooperation between and among these entities is mutually beneficial, the mandate of the City-School Boards Liaison Committee is to provide a forum for interaction with respect to areas of mutual concern between the City of Ottawa and the four School Boards within the municipality of Ottawa. This will include, but not be limited to, mutual use of facilities, reciprocal agreements, health, recreation, safety, social services and planning. This Committee will also identify further areas of cross-jurisdictional cooperation and potential reciprocal arrangements, where appropriate.
The City-School Boards Liaison Committee met three times during the 2001-2003 term of Council, considered 29 items and received four public delegations. The Committee met for a total of 4.75 hours in the entire term. Despite the aims and objectives of the Committee, the amount of work accomplished and the staff time dedicated by both the School Boards and City required to support the Committee could be more ably served by a staff liaison committee. This staff liaison committee could include management from all four school boards, and the appropriate City departments where cross-jurisdictional issues are impacted, and send items to Council and Standing Committees where decisions or approvals were required. The City Clerk’s Branch will pursue this option of a staff liaison committee.
As this policy matter has already been addressed by Council once during this term of office, it is suggested that the idea of establishing a reconstituted “Liaison/Working Group” between the school boards and the Community and Protective Services Department be offered to staff for inclusion in the pending “Governance Report (2006-2009)”.
The Community and Protective Services Department has long-standing partnerships with the School Boards in areas of shared responsibility such as: the Learning, Earning and Parenting (LEAP) and Enhanced Youth Assistance (EYA) programs (Employment and Financial Assistance Branch) reciprocal agreements for use of facilities and sports fields (Parks and Recreation); provision of Health awareness programs (e.g., promotion of physical activity, healthy hand hygiene initiative; EpiPen training, etc (Public Health); Fire Prevention Training (Ottawa Fire Services), among others. The Department plans to enhance those partnerships, where applicable, to move forward on implementation of the priority initiatives within the Department’s “How Can We Help?” strategic plan.
With respect to Recommendation 5,
that the August Back to School Allowance insert include an explanation of what
the benefit is intended for, the Department is not in a position to implement
this for jurisdiction / legal considerations.
The Ontario Works Program provides a "Back to School Benefit"
once per year for parents of school aged children. Most Ontario Works participants receive this benefit as part of
their August payment. Included with the
payment, is an information insert developed and printed by the Ministry of
Community and Social Services, which advises parents that additional funds ($69
per child aged 4 to 12, and $128 per child aged 13 to 17) have been included to
assist parents with expenses incurred when children return to school. Municipalities cannot alter the content of
this information insert.
However, the City
could develop a separate information insert that could be sent to families in
receipt of Ontario Works to advise parents of their rights and obligations
under the Education Act. The
responsibility for the content development based on a review of the rights and
obligations of parents, students or school boards under the Education Act
and the cost of the printing would be borne by the City.
Recommendation 3, communication
with member municipalities of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario
(“AMO”) would be coordinated through AMO using their mass e-mail service, at a
cost of $285 per page, plus GST.
However, there is no cost centre to pay for this expense.
Recommendation 5, the total printing-related costs for adding an insert to the existing monthly mail out to Ontario Works families would range from $750 to $2,500 depending on the length of the message.
City Clerk to action - Recommendations 1, 3
and 6
Community and Protective Services Department
– Recommendations 2, 4 and 5
IMPACT OF SCHOOL FEES ON LOW INCOME FAMILIES
INCIDENCE DES FRAIS DE SCOLARITÉ SUR LES FAMILLES À FAIBLE REVENU
ACS2005-CCV-POI-0004 CITY WIDE / À L'ÉCHELLE DE LA VILLE
Cliff Gazee, Poverty Issues Advisory Committee presented the report, some of the main points of which were as follows:
· The school boards must communicate to parents that school fees are voluntary: this is not being done very well;
· Children unable to participate feel marginalized and marked as "poor kids": they tend to not do as well in school;
· Societal standards and disparities become more well-defined in high school: kids feel they don't belong and may get into criminal activities, creating higher social costs for policing and health care;
· The imposition of school fees undermines the concept of universal access to education.
Several Committee members expressed the view that this onus is on the school boards to deal with this issue. Mr. Gazee pointed out that many people have approached the boards, however he felt that more action was required and that it was time to get some momentum going.
Councillor G. Bedard asked whether the Liaison/Working Group currently exists. The Deputy City Manager, Community and Protective Services, Steve Kanellakos, responded by saying that, because the City delivers many programs in the schools, there exists a good working relationship, but no formal group per se. He added that his preference would be that Recommendations 4 and 5 be referred to staff for a report back with the direction to report back within a specific timeframe.
Councillor Cullen circulated copies of the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the former City/School Board Liaison Committee and provided a brief history of its formation and dissolution. He asked that staff explore the possibility of a more formal relationship with the school boards, similar to the one defined in the TORs.
The Committee then heard from the following delegations:
Marion Van de Wetering has three children aged 10, 6 and 2 years; her husband is a full-time student on full scholarship at the University of Ottawa. The family pays market rent plus utilities and has $500 to $600 per month for food. This is also their only source of discretionary funding. The school fees are $35 per child for school supplies (due in June) $25 per child for field trips; other activities such as pizza lunches and school pictures add to the cost. Schools also have a new shoe requirement to cut down on their maintenance costs. Mrs. Van de Wetering often deprives herself of food to feed her family.
Councillor Cullen wanted to know about the attitude of the School Council on fees and whether the speaker is aware of the subsidy program to help some families defray extra costs. She replied that she never received any indication that some of the fees were not mandatory and that the subsidy program was never mentioned.
Lucia Dolcetti, Child Poverty ActionGroup has been working on school fees for a few years, requesting that essential and non-essential fees be defined ahead of time. She welcomed the guidelines developed by the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and asked that the Committee help with its advocacy to put teeth in these guidelines. She suggested that parents should be able to let school principals know whether they want to contribute and how much they can provide, in a confidential way: the Ministry should be providing the funds for essential programs. Ms. Dolcetti pointed out that the OCDSB is the only board that has produced guidelines. She also expressed her appreciation to the City for its offer to develop a separate insert to inform families on assistance.
Leslie McDermott, a parent, works for a community health centre, one of the many organizations involved in current lobbying on this issue. She stated that school fees undermine public education and many parents can't pay them. She pointed out that she has a file full of correspondence with the Ministry of Education and that people need to fight for public education. In reply to a question from Councillor Cullen, Ms. McDermott confirmed that the Coalition of Community Resource Centres supported and are working to bring forward recommendations in the near future.
Heather Colls, Kanata Food Cupboard submitted written comments in support of the position taken by the Poverty Issues Advisory Committee on school fees. A copy of this document is held on file with the City Clerk.
Committee
Discussion
Councillor Cullen asked for a comment on staff's response to Recommendation 2, and on whether there was merit in this approach. The Deputy City Clerk, Rick O'Connor, stated it was not in the legislative mandate of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing "to engage local school boards within its boundaries" and thus it would be difficult to add this to the Municipal Act. Responding to a subsequent question from the Councillor, Mr. Kanellakos suggested adding the words "any other relevant Ministries or individuals" to achieve the goals in Recommendation 1. When asked to name the activities that would be covered by the Liaison/Working Group referenced in Recommendation 4, Mr. Kanellakos said the OCDSB was asked to develop a mutual agenda and to move this forward by one year. He also said that staff is working with the United Way on a youth forum and want the participation of the Boards at the table.
Councillor Diane Deans opined that the City should take this on as an issue and would need to have information on the costs of school fees to both primary and secondary students. She cited the example of Canterbury (school for the performing arts) noting that deserving children of low-income parents would be excluded from such programs. The Councillor felt this would add to the risk of creating a two-tier educational system.
Councillor Peggy Feltmate pointed out that, over the past twenty-five years, society has reverted to a charitable societal model, with a proliferation of programs to ensure that everyone can participate. The Councillor expressed the view it would be preferable to ensure that all individuals have adequate incomes, thereby giving them more choices.
Councillor Bedard wanted to ensure that something was done. He suggested that the groups referred to in Recommendation 4 be contacted to ascertain their desire to participate. He called school fees harassment of the poor, especially children. The Councillor said it would be important to have a liaison committee to ensure that any initiatives to address this problem be done collaboratively with the Boards.
Councillor C. Doucet said he wished he could be optimistic about a school liaison council, and he recalled that, over the years, the City fought with the Boards to keep several neighbourhood schools open. The Councillor's view was that schools were as important as every other city service and much has to do with constitutional issues. He pointed out that fifty percent of schools are still funded by the property tax base, and that the City has no knowledge of how much money this represents. He called this a problem of democratic accountability and averred that it needs to be addressed.
After further discussion, the Committee considered the following Motions:
Moved by G. Bedard
That the Poverty Issues Advisory Committee
recommend that the Health, Recreation and Social Services Committee recommend
that Council approve:
1.
That the City of
Ottawa write the Minister of Education, Minister of Community and Children’s
Services, and other appropriate agencies (including area MPPs) for the
Province of Ontario, and to the Chairs and Directors of Education of the four
Ottawa Boards of Educations to:
a.
raise the concern
of the increasing financial burden of school fees on its poorer families, in
the face of the rising costs of the basic necessities to raise a healthy
family; and
b.
ask the Minister to
ensure that the cost of essentials for any program of Public Education are
fully funded by the Ministry and not in any way downloaded onto individual
students and their families without their fully informed and voluntary consent.
2.
That the City of
Ottawa, during renegotiating of the Ottawa/Municipal Act seek a formal mandate
and mechanism to engage with the local school boards within its boundaries; as
both being legally constituted governing bodies under Provincial legislation,
elected by the same citizens; to collaborate on common matters affecting the
health, well-being and realization of the innate potential of the children
within their overlapping jurisdictions and by extension their families; as well
as creating a forum for addressing solutions to the added financial demands on
both their own available resources and those of low-income families within
their areas of jurisdiction.
3.
That the City of
Ottawa communicate with the other member municipalities of the Association of
Municipalities of Ontario urging them to consider similar initiatives to
protect, not just the most vulnerable in their communities, but the basic
principle of universal access to Public Education in Ontario.
Moved by A. Cullen
That recommendations 4 & 5 be
referred to staff for review and recommendation and come back to Committee by
June 2006.
CARRIED
4.
That the City of Ottawa through the
Community and Protective Services Department establish a Liaison/Working Group
with the four local school boards in Ottawa; to include representation from
principals, school councils and established groups working to reduce child and
family poverty, etc., to ensure that funds provided to low-income clients for
basic needs are not being diverted to pay for anything deemed essential to a
course of study under the Ontario
Education Act and that low-income
parents in particular are informed of any and all subsidies available for
course enhancements not covered under the Act; directly in writing, in a way
that does not require children to act as go-betweens on financial matters; and
prevents their embarrassment and stigmatization in front of their schoolmates.
5.
That should a mechanism to inform these
parents of the limits of their fee obligations under the Education Act not be in place and communicated to parents by June 2006, that the
Employment and Financial Assistance Branch of the City of Ottawa include an
insert in their August cheques to Ontario Works recipients that includes the
back to school allowance and that clearly explains the recipient’s rights and
obligations under the Education
Act and informs them that this
allowance is intended to assist with the many added costs of preparing their
growing children for the new school year and that they are not legally obliged
to use this allowance on fees for course books, materials etc. that are
essential to any program of study offered under the Provincial Education Act and therefore should be paid for under the budgetary provisions of the
Act.
6.
That these
recommendations be forwarded to all Advisory Committees of the City of Ottawa
for their information, support and endorsement.
CARRIED,
as amended