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Thursday, 10 December 2009 09:10 |
Trustee wants provincial watchdog to probe complaints against board
By DON PEAT, TORONTO SUN
An outspoken trustee is calling for Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin to have oversight over the Toronto District School Board rather than the board policing itself.
Trustee Josh Matlow told the Sun yesterday he wants the province's watchdog to be able to investigate complaints about Canada's largest school board along with every other school board.
Matlow's concern came just before a closed-door meeting between TDSB executive director Chris Spence and the trustees prior to last night's public meeting.
OUTLINE PLANS
At that meeting, Matlow said the director was expected to outline his plans to hire an ombudsman as part of his Vision of Hope plan for the future of the TDSB.
"His intention is that this new ombudsman would report directly to the director of the TDSB," Matlow said.
TDSB officials refused to comment on the prospect of an ombudsman or the content of last night's meeting, saying it was "confidential."
While Matlow said he appreciates that Spence wants an ombudsman, he's concerned that if the position -- which comes with a yet-unknown cost -- will be a board employee who reports to board officials first.
"It would be far preferable, if we really want this to be an objective office, to have the Ontario ombudsman have purview over school boards rather than have one that will report directly to the institution that the complaint will most likely be about," he said.
"To have a neutral, objective and fair office for parents to refer complaints to, someone to give them an honest hearing and recommend changes the school board can do."
Last year, trustees turned down a motion by Matlow to ask the province to allow school boards to be under Marin's purview.
SHUT OUT
Every year, Marin laments the fact the ombudsman's office is shut out of investigating complaints at municipalities, universities and colleges, school boards and hospitals -- collectively called the MUSH sector.
In the past fiscal year, Marin's office received 107 complaints about school boards.
His annual report stated the calls included concerns about "unsafe schools, inadequate support for children with disabilities and abuse in the classroom."
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