For Immediate Release
December 14, 2005

The Nanny State has entered high school

Queen’s Park- MPP Toby Barrett is aghast at the latest heavy handed government proposal to deny or suspend the licences of high school dropouts and to lay fines of up to $1000 on students who do not maintain an acceptable attendance record.

“This is a sad reflection of Ontario high schools if they have to threaten students with fines and punishments to keep them in attendance” charged Barrett.

The Minister of Education, Gerard Kennedy introduced the student success strategy in legislature with the goal of reducing the current 30% dropout rate by half within four years time. 

In yet another example of the McGuinty government assuming Ontarians are guilty until proven innocent, under the proposal students will have to present documentation proving their good attendance at school before they can obtain a driver’s licence.  Those who already have a valid license and choose to stop attending school will be threatened with having their licence suspended by a judge.  

Barrett says this punitive measure will have an uneven, hard-hitting impact on rural areas where there is no public transit.

“Yet again the Ontario Liberals are discriminating against rural, small town Ontario” Barrett said.  “Students will be stuck on isolated concessions if they can’t drive.  I doubt the government plans to bar students from the TTC or revoke their transit passes.”

While Minister Kennedy stated “the McGuinty government respects our students,” Barrett however, feels that this kind of nanny state proposal offends and underestimates students’ ability to make choices for themselves. 

Opposition Education Critic, Frank Klees called the proposal a “hare-brained idea.”  “Everyone knows that it’s going to be impossible to enforce” Klees stated outside of legislature.  “What I cannot believe is that the minister would waste everyone’s time by bringing legislation like this forward.”

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