How Bill 10 Will Affect Montessori
November 2, 2014
We wish to make you aware of a startling piece of legislation that is currently before provincial parliament. Bill 10, otherwise known as the Childcare Modernization Act, should it be passed, will severely compromise Montessori schools.
This legislation has been prioritized in response to deaths of children in illegal home daycare settings. Unfortunately, rather than addressing important issues of overcrowding and inadequate care in some unlicensed facilities or the larger systemic issues of chronically underfunded early years care, the government has responded with sweeping regulatory changes in the form of Bill10. Here are some concerns we have from a Montessori point of view:
1. It severely limits your right to choose alternative curriculums, including but not limited to Montessori, for your child. Your right to choose appropriate education for your child is enshrined in the UDHR Article 26 as such: “Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children”. http://www.un.org/en/
2. Instead, it provides for the implementation of a standardized early years curriculum. It is worth noting that it does not provide for additional funding. In recommending “a provincial framework to guide pedagogy” in section 49(c), they are advocating for a lowest common denominator solution. The Ministry’s approach is vague and haphazard and in no way reflects the holistic and constructivist view of child development inherent in a Montessori approach. It will instead advocate for a play-based learning environment that grossly underestimates a child’s natural curiosity, which must be properly nurtured in an enriched environment to reach full potential. Ref:http://www.ontla.on.ca/
3. It applies systemic solutions such as “approved service plans” aimed at managing individual learning at an administrative level. The emphasis to note here is standard versus exceptional levels of service.
4. It challenges the possibility of offering private school options in facilities that house programs for children under 3.8 years old because all programs in that facility would have to function as “day nurseries” in order to conform. Among other things, this challenges mixed age classrooms, an uninterrupted three-hour work cycle and the very notion of free will needed for the implementation of Montessori casa and elementary curriculums.
5. It gives the government the power to limit accreditation outside compliance with government-approved standards. This could potentially require ECE designations in positions currently held by Directresses who hold a university degree and an AMI teaching diploma specialized to the prepared casa environment.
If the idea of “evidence based” standardization concerns you, we very much need you to involve yourself in this process. Bill10 is on its second reading in the legislature and is being rushed through without adequate public education or community consultation for such a key issue. We will be working with other schools, the AMI and the CCMA to affect change and ensure the legislation is inclusive of alternative approaches. Parent involvement and help from key stakeholders in media, law, politics and education will be absolutely vital to the outcome. We will be in touch shortly as to next steps but meanwhile encourage you to write or call your MPP and Education Minister Liz Sandals (an array of contacts is listed below) to voice your concern. I will be inviting MPPs to have lunch with us and to observe in the casas in the meantime. We would also like to form a parent coalition group to represent our school’s voice in opposing Bill 10. I will be attending a meeting at Humberside Montessori this Thursday to discuss a protest day and other co-operative initiatives and would welcome your support for these. Holly
MPPs
Davenport MPP Jonah Schein jschein-co@ndp.on.ca
Parkdale High Park MPP Cheri DiNovo dinovoc-co@ndp.on.ca
Trinity Spadina MPP Han Dong hdong.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org
MPPs who have spoken out in support of Montessori:
Ted Arnott ted.arnott@pc.ola.org
Norm Miller norm.miller@pc.ola.org
Education Minister Liz Sandals lsandals.mpp.co@liberal.ola.
Premier Kathleen Wynne premier@ontario.ca
Local City Counselors who can speak to the shortage of quality childcare options in our immediate wards:
Ward 19 Counselor Mike Layton councillor_layton@toronto.ca
Ward 18 Counselor Ana Bailao councillor_bailao@toronto.ca