TORONTO - The chocolate-covered almond industry might soon take a hit in Ontario, after Premier Dalton McGuinty announced he is considering new school fundraising guidelines.
The announcement comes in the wake of a report tabled by a parent-led group exposed fundraising inequities - some schools are raising as much as $200,000, while others are raising nothing - that could lead to a two-tiered system.
"What we are going to do for the very first time is we are consulting now and we want to put in place some kinds of guidelines to say what constitutes appropriate fundraising and what constitutes inappropriate fundraising," McGuinty said Wednesday.
McGuinty, who has said he raised funds as a Catholic school student in his youth, added: "Children have been fundraising, schools have been fundraising, for at least half a century."
The report by People for Education also noted a disturbing trend in fundraising activities, which more often are now being directed toward classroom staples such as computers, text books and other supplies.
McGuinty called that "unacceptable."
"What we will not and cannot accept here in Ontario is that kids are out there fundraising for the basics," he said.
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