To the editor,
Professional Student Services Personnel (PSSP) are members of the Ontario Secondary Student Teacher Federation (OSSTF) who provide professional services to students within school settings across this province. Locally here within the Bluewater District School Board (BWDSB) the group includes speech and language pathologists, behaviour analysts, communication disorder assistants, attendance counsellors, mental health workers and psychologists. As a group we are supported by BWDSB, and we are caring professionals who value providing quality services to students within our local schools. However, we are deeply concerned about the Ontario government’s proposed changes to the delivery of specialized health and school-based rehabilitation services to students in public schools in Ontario. The changes are particularly concerning in how they will affect the availability and quality of services and supports offered to students.
Policy Program Memorandum 81 – Provision of health support services in school settings (PPM 81) outlines expectations and responsibilities for services such as speech and language pathology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and applied behavioural analysis. Many students require these supports to meet their individual learning and developmental needs.
The draft revision of PPM 81 articulates the importance of these services for students. However, it does not fully recognize the essential roles school board personnel currently fill in the delivery of these services. These types of school-based rehabilitation services for school age children should be provided by school board employed personnel. School board employees have strong, well established working relationships with the teachers and support staff who work with students; we are familiar with the school environment, evidence based programming and available resources. We are committed to working together with families and school teams to support students’ development and well-being. PPM 81 puts this kind of high-quality service at risk. In many parts of Ontario, especially in rural and remote areas, professional rehabilitation services, such as speech and language services are difficult to access. The government’s proposed changes will further increase the barriers to school-based rehabilitation services. This is simply unacceptable.
We urge Minister of Education Stephen Lecce and the Ford government to consider the well-being and success of students in their decision-making. These changes threaten to diminish the quality of Ontario’s education system and access to the professional rehabilitation services that so many students need and deserve.
Please feel free to express your concern as well to your local MPP:
Bill Walker – bill.walkerco@pc.ola.org or Lisa Thomson – lisa.thompsonco@pc.ola.org.
Leslie Hastie, M.A. C. Psych
President PSSP District 7 (Bluewater)
