Huron-Bruce MPP and Education Minister Lisa Thompson is standing by last week's announced changes to Ontario education, which includes increased class sizes.
Thompson said her department feels the change was necessary after the lengthy consultations they conducted.
"I feel very confident in our announcement last Friday because after 15 years of the Liberal government experimenting, and building out education initiatives based on ideologies, that our students have been failed over the last 15 years," she said.
In regards to all the changes, Thompson said they all stem from the lengthy consultations that were done to gather information for her department.
"People had a forum to have their voices heard. We had the largest consultation in the history of Ontario's education ministry, with 72,000 people participating, and that has delivered so much information and so many perspectives that will inform education for years to come," she said.
Thompson said all the changes are going to be beneficial, particularly with contentious issues like the health curriculum.
"We are going to get it right because even with our new health and physical education curriculum, we are taking a look at starting with respect for one's self, respect for others, and respect for community," she said.
One recent comment earlier this week from Thompson drew some criticism from educators in the province. She said when she noted that larger class sizes will help students become "more resilient," she was referring to comments employers made in consultations with her department that young hires tend to lack confidence and self-reliance.
"And we are looking at how we can ensure kids have confidence not only to focus in on their studies, but confidence that they're going to have the skills that they need coming out of post-secondary education that employers are going to want," she said.