| Kit Rankin | | | | out of business without so intending. |
| Director Field Services Branch | | | | I have no doubt that there are improper practices by |
| | | | some schools.However, the ministry itself holds the |
| Mowat Block | | | | responsibility and has the authority to address this |
| Queen's Park | | | | problem by identifying them and revoking their licenses. |
| Toronto, ON M7A 1L2 | | | | It is four years since the ministry closed four private |
| Dear Ms Rankin | | | | schools.Since then, the number of private schools has |
| RE: Memorandum dated July 17, 2009 | | | | grown like mushrooms, yet the ministry has not closed |
| Your memo is titled "Revision to the Recording of | | | | any other school during this period. |
| Credits on the Ontario Student Transcript." | | | | It serves the ministry and its stakeholders best if you |
| The revision consists of wholesale rubber-stamping of | | | | address specific questionable practices in individual |
| the letter "P" on credits obtained in private schools. | | | | schools directly. It is not fair to download the |
| Your memo provides no rationale for this labeling. It | | | | consequences of such practices onto the whole |
| does not identify any benefits, nor does it mention any | | | | population of private schools. |
| entities that might profit from any such possible | | | | The main problem with your proposed revision is that, |
| benefits. In the absence of any persuasive reasons for | | | | intentional or not, it seems to tar ALL private schools |
| appending a label to all private school credits, I will | | | | with the same brush. It is arbitrary and patently unfair. |
| address the downside. | | | | If there is a valid reason for rubber-stamping ALL |
| Labeling of all private school marks will inevitably raises | | | | private schools, it should be made public. The "P" |
| in the public mind, a question about the meaning / | | | | stamp looks like a "throwing out the baby with the |
| purpose of the distinction. It is reasonable to suppose | | | | bathwater" solution to this problem. |
| that the public will assume that it is a warning; similar to | | | | I suggest that you consider the following alternatives |
| the ones placed on restaurants. However, you are | | | | for controlling private schools: |
| putting the same label on all private schools. The | | | | - Send your inspectors out more often. |
| bottom line is that this process might put some schools | | | | |