HomeMy WebLinkAboutOCDSB Letter to Minister of Education re Internet Affordability OTTAWA-CARLETON
DI5TR]CT SCHOOL BOARD
Office of the Chair of the Board
Sent by email: stephen.lecce@pc.ola.org
February 5, 2020
The Honourable Stephen Lecce
Minister of Education
438 University Ave, 5th Floor
Toronto, Ontario M7A 1 N3
Dear Minister Lecce:
At its Board meeting on January 26, 2021, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
directed me to write to you to express our significant concerns about the affordability of
internet access for families whose children are engaged in virtual learning.
Specifically, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board is asking you to improve
access to internet services for families by
1. Resuming negotiations with large service providers for lower data rates;
2. Lobbying the federal government and the Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission to take action to lower internet costs; and
3. Providing direct financial relief in the form of a non-taxable grant for families
with children learning remotely.
While we commend the government's efforts to improve the availability of internet
access in rural and remote areas of the province, including rural areas within the City
of Ottawa, internet availability alone will not help students to learn remotely unless
their families can afford the cost.
The Ministry's Support for Learners one-time payment provision will help with
families' additional costs during the 2020-2021 school year; however, it is not enough
to support disadvantaged families incurring significant internet costs when schools
are closed or students are isolating at home. The Covid-19 pandemic has deepened
the struggles of many families for whom an already-precarious financial situation has
been exacerbated by illness and reduction or loss of employment.
If we are to ensure continuity of learning for all students and repair the learning
losses experienced by many children in 2020, the internet must be affordable as well
as available.
Sincerely,
Lynn Scott
Chair, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
cc The Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario
The Honourable Merrilee Fullerton, MPP, Kanata-Carleton
The Honourable Lisa Macleod, MPP, Nepean-Carleton
Goldie Ghamari, MPP, Carleton
Jeremy Roberts, MPP, Ottawa West-Nepean
Joel Harden, MPP, Ottawa Centre
John Fraser, MPP, Ottawa South
Lucille Collard, MPP, Ottawa Vanier
Stephen Blais, MPP, Orleans
Amanda Simard, MPP, Glengarry-Prescott-Russell
His Worship, Mayor, Jim Watson, City of Ottawa
Cathy Abraham, President, OPSBA
W.R. (Rusty) Hick, Executive Director, OPSBA
T.J. Goertz, Senior Communications and Policy Officer, OPSBA
Trustees, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
Student Trustees, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
Senior Staff, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
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