Inclusion - Member's Statement

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : I want to begin by congratulating the government for having taken the very first step in addressing the issue of inclusion in schools. The establishment of the commission and the release of the students' first report a year ago were important moments for our province. Teachers, students and families were pleased to hear the government accept the recommendations of that report and commit to making the investments needed to ensure that our public education system is safe and inclusive and meets the needs of everyone.

On behalf of our caucus, I also want to take the opportunity to acknowledge the incredible expertise, patience, and commitment of the people working in the public education system. These are exceptional people doing incredible work, often in challenging circumstances. We know that our children and their families are counting on these dedicated individuals. This is a huge responsibility and we respect and admire them for taking it on. Thank you particularly to our guests in the gallery.

We know we are still at the beginning of making our schools the inclusive spaces they need to be, and there is still so much to do. We are looking forward to seeing the inclusive education policy framework, including new behaviour, mental health, and autism strategies come forward. We're looking forward to this framework leading to greater coordination across departments so that children and their families have seamless access to services and supports across the lifespan, and we are looking forward to annual reports on our progress towards those shared goals.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the minister for giving me the opportunity to voice my continued support for the road map put forward in Students First, and I look forward to working with our partners in public education to make the improvements needed.