Ontario's two-tier public education

Bad enough that private schools exist in Ontario. They unquestionably create a two-tired atmosphere in which those with money have different (and often better) opportunities than those without money. That's why I've always been a firm believer in accessible, publicly funded education. And to be clear, that public education ought to be from a unified, secular, board of education.

However, it's troubling to note that York Region has created a two-tiered public education system. The board now runs an evening tutoring session at a cost. The eight-week program- consisting of sixteen hours worth of tutoring- costs $190. It is made available for students in grades 4, 5, and 6. In fact, only one trustee opposed the tutoring system, though her arguments were not based on opposition to the existence of a fee for service, but rather, she argued that all students should learn what is necessary throughout the day.

Now, when a teacher tells a parent that his/her child is struggling and recommends the program, it is natural for parents to worry and, if finances are available, send their child to for extra learning. Even if the family is not well-off and struggles to get by, it's likely that they'll somehow try to send their child if recommended. The board does make some subsidies available for low-income parents.

The problem here is not that the board is offering extra assistance for students in need. In fact, I commend them for their efforts. The problem is that a public education board is charging students for the knowledge that they should be provided with at no charge. If the students can't learn the required knowledge in the regular school day, no problem, I'm certainly in favour of after school and evening programs. However, in the public board, let's not charge parents for these services. As a public board, they ought to do everything they can to ensure students are not suffering and falling behind. But they ought not to charge additional funds, thus creating a two-tiered public education system.