Ontario Minister of Education Stephen Lecce’s March 4 offer of a ‘fair plan‘ has been ignored as some 107,000 teachers belonging to OSSTF, OECTA, and AEFO unions, continued their strike action yesterday.
“I have offered all teachers’ union federations a fair and reasonable plan, which should pave the way to reaching a good deal that keeps students in class,” said Lecce.
“The government has consistently made reasonable moves – effectively freezing class room sizes, a parental opt out for online learning, a commitment to full-day kindergarten, and one hundred per cent investment in special education.
“The time for a deal is now, I urge the unions to stop this disruptive escalation and return to the table to get a deal that is fair for parents, students, and educators,” he added.
Government’s most recent proposal:
- A commitment to a funded maximum average class size of 23 in secondary schools – leaving them essentially the same as 2019-2020;
- Replace the previous Local Priorities Fund with a new, student-centric Supports for Students Fund, which allows boards more flexibility to address students’ unique learning needs, including special education, mental health, and STEM education;
- The Supports for Students Fund would continue at the same funding amount of the Local Priorities Fund.
- A commitment to maintain full-day kindergarten; and
- Reasonable increases in wages and compensation.
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