When it comes to budgets, winners and losers are usually in the eye of the beholder. Case in point, the latest provincial budget.

Take the cuts to education, for instance. The Ford government wants to increase high school class sizes from 22 to 28 students which will allow them to cut 3,475 teaching positions over the next four years, thereby saving $851 million.

Beside saving money, their argument for increasing class sizes is that it will help make students more resilient. According to Education Minister Lisa Thompson, by increasing high school class sizes we are preparing students for the reality of post-secondary education as well as the world of work. Poppycock.

So let's get this straight -- increasing class sizes by 25 per cent, which will decrease the amount of time the teachers can spend with their students, thus making them less effective, will better prepare the students for college and university? Students are already stressed out enough, as evident by the increasing number of students who are dealing with mental health issues such as depression and severe anxiety.

The drop-out rate in math and sciences between Grade 11 and Grade 12 is already high enough. Increasing class sizes will only exacerbate the problem.

If you want to help students succeed in university, and in life, bring back Grade 13, but that's another topic for another day.

The biggest impact the massive cuts in teaching positions will have will be on those aspiring teachers who are still in teachers college or were hoping to become teachers. I'm guessing this year's convocation ceremony will be bittersweet.

It reminds of the massive cuts the Harris government made to health care in the early 90s when hundreds of doctors and nurses had to go elsewhere to find work. Most went south of the border and Texas in particular, if my memory serves me correct. A lot of them came back when things improved under the Liberal government, but it led to years of upheaval.

Slashing 3,745 teaching positions will provide a short-term gain in exchange for years of pain and its the students who will suffer most. And when the students suffer we all suffer.

The situation could still end up being worse than many critics of the Ford government are predicting. Changes in the funding formula for kids with autism combined with the government's desire to integrate autism spectrum students in regular classrooms could prove disastrous for everyone involved unless the necessary financial support and resources put in place. Whether that's little more than wishful thinking only time will tell.