Minister Calandra Thinks He Knows Better Than Students, Families, Teachers — and Everyone

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 27 April 2026 

 QUEEN’S PARK, ON — Ontario Liberal Interim Leader and Critic for Education John Fraser issued the following statement following Minister Calandra’s appearance before the Standing Committee on Social Policy on Bill 101: 

 Today, the Minister of Education testified in committee on Bill 101, and it was clear he does not understand the issues affecting students and families in our schools. 

I asked the Minister about the top three causes for absenteeism in our schools, and the minister could not answer. The Minister also acknowledged there is a mental health problem in our schools without providing any solutions. 

The fact of the matter is, Bill 101 does nothing to address the real problems students are facing. The answer to absenteeism is not to make it a larger part of students’ grades. If we do not address the root causes and simply make it a bigger part of students’ grades, we will just end up with students getting lower grades. 

This bill does not add a single teacher, a single educational assistant, or a single mental health worker to our schools. It will not make one child’s class smaller. It will not strengthen one child’s special education. It will not make one child’s classroom safer. 

Minister Calandra is overcomplicating this. If you don’t water a plant, it wilts. If you don’t fund education, students suffer and stop coming to class. That is why absenteeism is where it is. 

Instead of listening to expert witnesses in committee, the Minister took the unusual step of grilling them. That is further evidence he thinks he knows better than the experts and believes he can run every school in Ontario from his corner office at Queen’s Park. 

There have also been significant issues related to French language education. When questioned, the Minister refused to give an answer. 

I am deeply concerned about this bill. The Minister is failing to address the fundamental challenges facing our French-language schools. As drafted, it risks eroding the constitutional right of francophones to fully manage and govern their own education system, an outcome that would expose this legislation to serious constitutional challenge,” said MPP Lucille Collard.