Ontario’s Education Minister Paul Calandra is stepping into the spotlight over a very different kind of classroom issue — prom cancellations. Calandra warned Thursday that if the Durham District School Board does not reverse its decision to cancel prom plans at three of its high schools, he will personally intervene to make sure the celebrations happen.
The board’s schools — Brooklin, Brock, and Uxbridge high schools — had announced earlier this month that they were cancelling traditional prom events, citing growing liabilities and risks associated with school-run functions. The decision sparked anger and disappointment among students who felt deprived of one of the most cherished milestones of their academic lives.
Speaking at Queen’s Park after question period, Calandra made his stance clear. “If you’re thinking of cancelling prom, think again,” he said. “It’s not just a party. It’s a celebration of achievement — a rite of passage that can be done safely and responsibly.”
He added that school boards should be putting students and teachers first in their decisions, not bureaucracy or liability concerns. “Let kids be kids, for crying out loud,” Calandra said, in remarks that echo his broader push to reform school board governance and reinforce accountability among trustees. “If school boards don’t want to do it, and the minister of education has to step in to force them to put students first, then I’ll do that.”
The Durham District School Board has yet to respond to the minister’s comments or confirm whether it will reconsider its position. Calandra hinted that legislation currently before the Ontario legislature could give him the power to take direct action if needed. The new bill would grant the education minister expanded authority, including the ability to place boards under supervision in certain situations.
In their letter to parents, the three principals defended their decision, writing that the move was not meant to diminish student accomplishments but to ensure safer, more inclusive alternatives. “This does not mean that students’ friendships, accomplishments and milestones will go unrecognized,” the letter said. “We will continue to focus on creating inclusive and meaningful year-end activities that bring students together in ways that prioritize safety, dignity, and belonging.”
But for Calandra, that’s not enough. With graduation season fast approaching, the minister insists that prom — an enduring symbol of teenage celebration — must go on.