Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli is disappointed with the financial literacy program the Liberals are introducing as a pilot in 28 high schools. Fedeli has a vested interest in the program because a year ago he introduced a Private Member’s Bill to make financial literacy a permanent program for Grade 10 students. The Tory MPP says although he welcomes that the Liberals are doing something to improve students understanding of finances, he says their pilot is a watered down version of his proposed Bill. He says major differences are that the Liberal program isn’t permanent and it’s not a condition to graduate. “The Liberal version doesn’t hit all the notes,” he said. “It looks like they rushed to get something in place because the PC party had something that was very advanced.” Fedeli says when his Bill went through first reading it was widely praised for its recommendations. But with the advent of the pilot project, he withdrew his Bill in good faith because he expected a proposal somewhat similar to his. “But after 13years (of Liberal rule) I should have known better that the government would only pay lip service,” he said. However Fedeli wants to give the pilot program a chance and will wait to see how it plays out before deciding whether to re-introduce his Private Member’s Bill.
Meanwhile, the chair of the Near North District School Board is disappointed that among the 28 schools in the pilot, not one is from Northern Ontario. Dave Thompson says he doesn’t know what criteria the Ministry of Education used when deciding what schools to include in the program. Thompson adds the Ontario Public School Board Association was also kept in the dark over the selection process. He says at the very least one of the 28 schools should have been from the north. The pilot is now in effect and if it’s deemed successful the plan is to roll it out to all high schools in Ontario in 2018.
