HAMILTON – Monique Taylor, MPP for Hamilton Mountain, has written an article on saving Sherwood Secondary School which was published in the Mountain News. Full text below:
Sherwood Secondary school is like many other high schools in Hamilton. Students run to catch the bus in the morning, teachers and education workers mill around the faculty lounge before the start of the day, and of course what is a high school without sports rivalries? Like any school, Sherwood is the heart of the community its serves.
Unfortunately, years underfunding has left Sherwood — and many other schools across the province — in a state of disrepair. According to Fix Our Schools, Ontario’s school system has a $16.8 billion repair backlog. High quality learning environments should be a priority and it strikes me as shameful that Liberal and Conservative governments have let this backlog grow and grow under their watch.
Sherwood’s state of disrepair is obvious. Asbestos needs to be removed, gym floors need replacement, lab equipment needs to be updated and the list goes on. Hamilton students can’t thrive at a school that is falling apart, and staff can’t support their learning and education without the proper resources.
We need to save Sherwood Secondary School. In 2012, our community made a choice, and that choice included renovating and upgrading Sherwood. What we need now is the Ministry of Education to listen to and respect the choice that our community made 10 years ago.
Sherwood is not a lost cause. It’s a community and home to over 1,200 students who deserve to learn in a school that meets their needs. It’s also a workplace for many education workers who want to give our students the best education possible.
Sherwood also has one of two French immersion programs in the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board at the secondary level. That’s important education for the next generation of students looking to find their place in an increasingly competitive economy. French language skills go a long way here in Canada and abroad.
We cannot allow more schools in Hamilton to be closed due to the provincial government’s inaction. Our community has voiced its opinion on the closure of Sherwood already; why should we have to fight to keep Sherwood open again?
We need to keep the best interest of our students, parents and the broader community at heart, and that means fixing Sherwood so we can keep it open for generations of students to come. It is time for the Ministry of Education to finally step in and helps us save Sherwood.
Link to article: Let's fix Sherwood Secondary School on Hamilton Mountain