Oshawa and Ajax have set up day camps for children today as some 200,000 teachers go on strike across Ontario.
Oshawa has two full day camps:
- Junior Day Camp for children ages 4 to 6, and
- Day Camp for children ages 7 to 13
Both camps are at the Civic Recreation Complex. Extended Supervision is also available.
Additionally, Oshawa earlier said that in the event of school closures, The Rec Room for youth at the Civic Recreation Complex will offer extended hours on February 21 from 1:00 pm to 7:45 pm.
The Youth Room at South Oshawa Community Centre will also be open for extended hours from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Drop-in Sports, Leisure Swimming and Leisure Skating will run as scheduled, said a city announcement.
Pop-Up Winter Day Camp
Town of Ajax added another Pop-Up Winter Day Camp to help keep children busy and have something fun to do during the strike.
It is running a regular camp at McLean Community Centre from 8am to 5pm as well as a School Break Camp – KGM Cartoon Computer Animation at the same venue.
Lecce criticizes job action
In response to strike action by the four teachers’ unions (OSSTF, ETFO, OECTA, AEFO), Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, said: “Your child should be in class; they should not be the casualty of union-led escalation. The focus of union leaders ought to be on negotiating a deal that keeps students in class. Our government will remain squarely focused on providing stability to students who face escalation by teacher unions far too often throughout their educational journey.
“We have demonstrated this focus on students during the negotiation process, by advancing educational priorities that matter: merit-based hiring, enhanced investments in student priorities and special education over union demands for more generous wages and benefits and committed – in writing – to protecting all-day kindergarten.”
He repeated that parents are losing patience with the union-caused disruption in their lives, the inconsistency in their children’s education, and the financial impact of scrambling for alternate care. “That is why we will continue to stand with parents and offer financial assistance through the Support for Parents initiative, which is providing financial support directly in the pockets of working parents.
“While union leaders are continuing to organize further disruption, our government remains focused on getting deals that ensure students are learning each and every day,” he added.
Ford ignoring Ontarians: OSSTF
However, OSSTF/FEESO with 60,000 members points out that “poll after poll demonstrates, the people of this province stand with education workers and teachers in defence of the quality of our
education system”.
“Unfortunately, the Ford government continues to ignore Ontarians, and clings to its mistruths, rhetoric, and spin. Their attempts to discredit Ontario’s education sector, vilifying us as “greedy” and “self-serving,” are not ringing true with the public, OSSTF said in a statement ahead of today’s strike.
It said the Doug Ford Conservatives are moving ahead with increases in class sizes, cuts to staffing levels for teachers and education workers, reduced course options for students, reductions in much-needed services for our most vulnerable learners, and mandated e-learning without any grasp of its efficacy.
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