By Pepper Parr
June 3rd, 2021
BURLINGTON, ON
In a grand gesture yesterday the Premier announced that outdoor graduation events were going to be permitted.
That news came as a surprise to every high school principal in the province.
The Halton District School Board was taken by surprise when they heard the news.
Bateman high school graduation in 2017
“At this point we don’t even know if we will be able to do it. Many Boards have already said they will not be doing it” said a news source.
“The Ministry has not given any direction, we haven’t spoken to Public health about it yet. It was a total surprise to us he announced it.
“Many schools have already planned their virtual events, which weren’t easy. Also don’t forget he said a celebration for every grade not just graduation.
The school board “will be going over this next week” – what they need is clear direction from the Ministry of Education. “… we have also yet to receive any written confirmation or direction from the Ministry.
The Premier said that there would be graduation events for every grade – which has not been the custom for Ontario schools. The long standing practice has been for high school students to graduate. More recently there have been graduation events for those completing elementary school.
How are schools supposed to organize outdoor graduations in 3 weeks?
Ford has no idea what preparations go into a graduation ceremony. Oh wait he never graduated from high school!!
And why weren’t there outdoor graduations last year?
This premier seems to take advice from anywhere he can get it, if not necessarily from the experts…The Toronto Star reported this in today’s paper – “Doug Ford told a story Wednesday about his violating his own since-expired stay-at-home order to receive advice about keeping schools closed, but expanding graduation ceremonies, from a child.
“It would be easier to laugh off if Ford had not then announced outdoor graduation ceremonies have been inexplicably expanded to every grade, to the immediate consternation of school boards everywhere.
“What better policy advice than to ask a kid if he would prefer summer camp and a graduation party to three weeks of school? Anyway, the premier seemed to think this story made him look good.”