Toronto District School Board trustees voted Wednesday night to phase out school reading clinics, as part of a move to expand English as a Second Language programs.
The decision will impact reading clinics at 32 schools. About 250 students were enrolled in the reading program.
The vote came after hours of debate. Trustees who supported the move pointed to a recent staff report that also suggested more than 200 educational assistants be cut as a cost-saving measure.
The TDSB, however, did not vote to cut those positions. Instead, the educational assistants will be reassigned, TDSB spokesperson Kelly Baker told CTV.ca on Friday.
John Campbell, TDSB chair, said now that kindergarten class sizes have been reduced, there isn't a need for that many assistants.
But Kimberly Dutton, an educational assistant who was at the TDSB meeting, said the board needs "front-line" workers.
"We're the front lines at the schools. We're the ones who see the kids first and take care of the kids," she told CTV Toronto. "Especially in kindergarten when the kids are just starting school. Especially in September when they're first coming in, it's hard for them to fit into the routines."
