School Choice Can Help

Toronto , Ont. – July 2, 2007

The recent murder of a Toronto high school student, as well as the alleged non-reporting of a sexual assault in the same school, show that school choice is needed more than ever. If they had a choice, few parents would choose schools where their children were in danger of being raped or murdered.

In a recent Society for Quality Education-funded study, parents stated that school safety was among the top five reasons for choosing alternative independent schools. The study, “ Ontario’s Private Schools: Who Chooses Them and Why?” can be accessed through our web-site by clicking on SQE Reports and Research.

“We wanted to take a good look at why parents decide to move their children out of publicly-funded schools,” said Doretta Wilson, the society’s executive director. Disappointment with publicly-funded schools was a factor in choosing their private school for 94 percent of surveyed parents. These parents overwhelmingly wanted dedicated teachers, an emphasis on academic quality, and safety – features which they found lacking in their children’s public schools.

It is in everyone’s interest to have strong, safe public schools with healthy enrolments, yet Toronto’s publicly-funded schools are losing thousands of students every year. Unless they improve their performance, this trend is likely to continue until only students with no other options remain. The society’s study offers the Toronto school boards vital information on what they need to do to stop hemorrhaging students.

The Society for Quality Education is a charitable, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting school choice in order to improve student learning in Canada . We are parents, educators and concerned citizens dedicated to bringing overdue reform to education monopolies. We invite the public to learn more about school choice by visiting www.societyforqualityeducation.org.

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