Education Workers’ Unions expressed concerns about cutbacks in Ontario Budget

BY PAUL JUNOR

The announcement by the Ontario government that there will be a reduction of $1.6 billion from the education budget has caused predictable reactions from the education workers’ unions. In the budget that was presented on Wednesday, March 23^rd there was almost no increase in spending on education out of a total of $186 billion.There was approximately $1.6 billion that was  spent on education during the school year 2020-2021 and the majority of it came from the federal government according to the March 25^th, 2021 edition of the Kitchener Today.

Five education workers’ unions which include the Ontario Secondary Teachers’ Federation(OSSTF/FESSO), Canadian Union of Public Employees(CUPE), Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario(ETFO), Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association(OECTA), and the Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens(AEFO) released a joint statement which notes that education  spending  did not increase at the same rate as inflation.

Kitchener Today  published the statement which reads, “Obviously, education is not a priority for this government. To date, the province has refused  to make critical investments in publicly funded education, putting students, education workers and families at risk.” The joint statements indicate that they are concerned that without investment in the safety as a priority in Ontario’s schools, the health and safety of  students and their families will be impacted.

The joint statement states, “With this budget, the Ford government  has an opportunity to provide students with the support they will need in the months and years ahead. Instead, they continue to exaggerate their investments  while actually shortchanging Ontario’s students and families.” The unions collectively called on the provincial government to invest in four specific areas:

• lower class sizes
• enhanced safety measures
• mental health supports
• more supports for students with special needs

On Thursday, April 15^th, OSSTF/FESSO launched a multimedia advocacy campaign to bring attention to the effects of a reduction in education spending on Ontario’s recovery. In the words of  president of OSSTF/FESSO, “The Ford government’s recent moves will cost the education system $800 million at a time when we are not out of this pandemic. Education is Ontario’s competitive advantage. Eroding our education system will only put our economy and future at risk. We need to ensure that the funding is in place with the continuing threat from this pandemic and ensure our students are provided with the education that will ensure their future success.” The media release indicates that by not investing fully in the safe reopening of schools and uncertainties about vaccinations there will be a cumulative effect on staff and students. This is the basis of the Don’t Shortchange Campaign.OSSTF is particularly concerned about Bill 254. This bill limits the rights to bring awareness of “public policy issues under threat of administrative penalties for violating these unfair rules.” There is much that these unions hope to accomplish.