OPENING ONTARIO'S SCHOOLS before Labour Day this year is an idea that school boards ought to reject.

The Education ministry has suggested that the 2009-10 school year should commence on Thursday, September 3, because the year is supposed to have 194 days of instruction between September and June, and when allowance is made for a late Labour Day (Sept. 7), the mid-February Family Day and six PD (Professional Development) days, there would be only 192 teaching days between Tuesday, Sept. 8 and Wednesday, June 30, 2010.

The Toronto District School Board has already decided schools there won't open until Sept. 8, one reason being the fact the Canadian National Exhibition runs until Labour Day and normally employs thousands of school kids.

Locally, the Upper Grand School Board plans to tackle the issue at its March 31 meeting. Board chair Bob Borden has written Education Minister Kathleen Wynne suggesting that for the one year the regulation be changed to require only 192 teaching days.

Although a better solution would be to move two of the six PD days to Sept. 3 and 4 and make them preparation and planning days, Mr. Borden says that would require cooperation from the Ministry and teacher unions, each of which mandate two of the PD days.

The early start would undoubtedly wreck a lot of families' vacation plans and have a negative impact on students' attempts to get summer employment in the midst of the Great Recession of 2009.

And if nothing else would work, why not look at shortening the normal two-week Christmas break or even (shudder the thought!) having classes on two Saturdays?