Ontario government planning $500M cut to education funding

Thelma and Louise at the wheel

TORONTO -- Some schools in Ontario will be shut down as the Liberal government makes education funding cuts to help eliminate a $12.5-billion deficit in three years, Education Minister Liz Sandals admitted Tuesday.

The planned cuts are included in the government's 2015-16 education funding guide, which was obtained by the New Democrats and calls for permanent savings of up to $500 million by 2017-18.

"Lets face it," Sandals told reporters. "We do have a deficit, so we're going to have to look at every government program and make sure that we're managing it efficiently."

The real issue is that the number of pupils is declining, added Sandals.

"So yes, there may be from year to year sometimes a slight decrease in funding, but the funding per pupil actually continues to rise," she said.  (more...)

Ontario government planning $500M cut to education funding