TORONTO, ON – ETFO has expressed concerns that lifting the mask mandate too soon may result in further disruption to in-person learning and negative impacts on the health and safety of ETFO members, students, and their families. We are now seeing significant disruption in schools due to the spread of COVID-19.

TORONTO, ON – The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) commends child care advocates for the years of tireless activism that led to the signing of an historic agreement between the Governments of Ontario and Canada on affordable child care.

TORONTO, ON – Over the past two years, the Ford government repeatedly made ineffective decisions that unnecessarily prolonged the pandemic, and jeopardized the health and safety of students and education workers. Students in Ontario experienced longer disruptions to in-person learning than anywhere else in Canada, and are once again at risk of further disruptions due to the government’s decision to prematurely lift the mask mandate in schools on March 21.

Justice Thomas R. Lederer has issued his decision on a remedy to an Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruling in April 2016 that recognized the Ontario government violated the collective bargaining rights of educators when it imposed Bill 115 in the fall of 2012. The award of damages—$103,100,000—to the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) is significant.

TORONTO, ON – Last night, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) learned, from reporters on social media, that the Ford government is moving ahead with a return to in-person learning on January 17. The lack of direct confirmation is both disheartening and troubling, especially since ETFO members have been on the front lines throughout the pandemic, and have valid concerns about their safety and that of students.

TORONTO, ON – Over the winter break and following last week’s announcement, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) advocated for a short delay to the restart of in-person learning so that additional protections could be in place before students and education workers return. Given the rapid spread of Omicron across Ontario, today’s announcement is a safer decision than the one made last week, but additional action is still needed.

TORONTO, ON—Today, the Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO), Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA), and Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) issued the following statement in support of mandatory vaccinations in schools:

“Ontario’s education unions representing teachers, education support workers, and other school staff support mandatory vaccinations in schools. To provide the greatest level of protection to Ontario’s students and communities, we believe that everyone working in, or attending a school who is eligible and can be safely vaccinated, should be vaccinated. 

TORONTO, ON—Today, the Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO), Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA), and Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) issued the following statement in response to the Ford government’s release of its back-to-school plan:

“The Ford government has not learned any lessons from its mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic. For months, teachers and education workers have been saying that in-person learning is the best and most equitable way for students to learn. Although the Ford government is saying the same thing, its actions do not back up their words. Our members look forward to welcoming students back into school buildings, but expect the government to ensure that it is done safely.

TORONTO, ON – With the release of a report from Sick Kids and the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, ETFO urges the government to take a cautious approach to the reopening of schools and implement necessary safety measures to prevent possible outbreaks in the fall. With the Delta variant becoming the dominant variant in Ontario, and students under 12 not able to be vaccinated, measures need to be taken to avoid schools becoming sources of transmission in the coming months.