BELOW IS AN OPEN LETTER TO PREMIER DOUG FORD SENT FROM LEADERS ACROSS A RANGE OF ONTARIO INDUSTRIES REGARDING SCHOOL CLOSURES.

PLEASE READ AND SIGN IF YOU'RE IN SUPPORT.

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Dear Premier Ford,

We write with deep concern about your decision to close schools for in-person learning without creating a sustainable plan to keep them safely open over the long term.

Your government has repeatedly said that schools should be "last closed and first opened" to protect the mental health, well being and learning of Ontario’s children. We agree with that policy objective. Previous closures bore difficult and far-reaching consequences for Ontario’s youth. Over the last two years, Ontario has grappled with more suicide attempts, eating disorders, and decreased mental health and physical wellness amongst young people. Specifically, moves to online schooling have caused our kids to fall behind in a number of important ways.

For children from low-income families, the mental and physical health effects of online schooling are even higher. Parents are less able to stay home with their kids, and the costs of internet and home computers put strain on their family budgets.

The result for our kids - our future nation builders - is less education, physical fitness, and social interaction, with these essential development needs often replaced by increased screen time and solitary activities. The upshot – far less opportunity for kids, and more stress for parents. It’s no surprise anxiety and depression are on the rise.

Paediatricians and public health experts across Canada have said that, on balance, it is better to keep kids in school. A sustainable plan is therefore required to keep schools open. In the absence of such a plan, students and educators will continue to be subject to knee-jerk openings and closures for as long as Covid-19 is with us.

With these facts in mind, we are deeply troubled by the continued lack of forward planning your government has undertaken to ensure safe schools. 2022 requires more than a 2020 response. Lockdowns of school children cannot continue to be the fallback two years into this pandemic, especially when the strategies for keeping schools open and safe are known and clear. It is your government’s responsibility to ensure this happens with maximum safety precautions in place, so kids can engage more freely in activities that bring development, joy and meaning to their lives.

We share and understand the concern of educators who are worried about their health and safety in the face of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. Quick and decisive action to minimize these risks – for example, easy access to vaccinations, boosters, N95 masks, improvements to ventilation systems, contingency plans for Staff shortages and isolation absences - must be urgently prioritized.

As leaders across a range of Ontario industries, we are at your disposal to help build a credible plan to safely provide in-person learning. It is what students need and parents expect. Let’s encourage vaccination and do whatever it takes to safely re-open schools as soon as possible.

Ontario is watching. It’s time to put families and kids first. We hope your government will finally take the necessary steps for a safe return to the classroom.