Ford government's planned changes to education system include increasing high school class sizes, mandatory e-learning, cellphone ban in classrooms and new math and sex-ed curricula.

Thunder Bay high school students participating in the province-wide walkout gathered outside the constituency office of Thunder Bay-Superior North Liberal MPP Michael Gravelle on Thursday, April 4, 2019. (Matt Vis, tbnewswatch.com)

1 / 1 Thunder Bay high school students participating in the province-wide walkout gathered outside the constituency office of Thunder Bay-Superior North Liberal MPP Michael Gravelle on Thursday, April 4, 2019. (Matt Vis, tbnewswatch.com)

THUNDER BAY – Students hope their afternoon spent out of the classroom will teach the premier and his government a lesson.

Hundreds of Thunder Bay high school students left their respective schools on Thursday afternoon, joining an Ontario-wide walkout to protest against the Progressive Conservative government’s announced changes to the provincial education system.

The students, from six different high schools, converged outside the constituency office of Thunder Bay-Superior North Liberal MPP Michael Gravelle and filled the sidewalk for more than half a block along Algoma Street.

The Ford government has said that it plans to increase the average high school class size to 28 from the current 22, and institute mandatory e-learning classes. Those two initiatives, which have drawn criticisms from teachers’ unions and some school boards, are widely expected to result in cuts to teaching jobs. Other changes include banning cellphones in classrooms and new math and sex-ed curricula.

Riley Fredrickson, a student trustee with the Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board and Grade 12 student at St. Ignatius High School, said she doesn’t think Premier Doug Ford is aware of the consequences of his government’s intentions.

“These increased class sizes and e-learning, especially since we’re in Northern Ontario, I think will have a very negative impact on our students,” Fredrickson said.

“I would say that he needs to take into account students and he needs to consider all students with learning disabilities and special needs and he needs to know that not all students learn in the same way.”

Even though Superior Collegiate and Vocational Institute Grade 11 student Ben Fedoruk will be graduating next year and likely won’t bear the brunt of the changes, he said it’s important to stand up for future students.

“I think what’s really troubling is the cuts to our education. It almost feels like our education is being compromised with all the cuts to the teachers, the increased class sizes, the cuts to the arts,” Fedoruk said.

“It’s very concerning as a student and especially looking at future students to see how this could possibly go forward.”

In Question Period on Thursday, Ford blamed the walk-out on union bosses who told teachers what to do and the students were being used “as a bunch of pawns.” As well, Education Minister Lisa Thompson was also reported as saying “manipulative” teachers were behind the walk-out.

The notion that the protest required direction from adults didn’t sit well with the students.

“I think (Thompson is) almost removing student's voice and not really taking into account that we are our own individual people and that we have our own opinions and have the right to protest and make our voices heard,” Fredrickson said.

“I think she’s forgetting that and I think she’s thinking we’ve been brainwashed but we haven’t. We’re passionate, we’re here because we want to be here and because we want to make our voices heard.”

For Thunder Bay-Atikokan NDP MPP Judith Monteith-Farrell, who came to the demonstration, the walkout is a sign that the Ford government needs to listen to young people.

“That is so insulting to the young people in our province. I wish (Thompson) would actually get out there and talk to students. Look at them. Look at what they’ve organized,” Monteith-Farrell said.

“They are articulate, they’re amazing and they understand the issues. These are our leaders. These are the people that in four of five years could be your nurse, a teacher, your dentist. These are amazing young people in Ontario and her attitude towards them is frankly disrespectful.”