Today’s fall economic statement is yet another failure by the Ford government. Behind the rhetoric, there are no meaningful new investments in public education. While educators struggle with large class sizes, increasing workloads, and rising violence in schools, the Ford government remains incomprehensibly focused on rewarding well-connected conservative party donors.

“Once again, student well-being and achievement are sacrificed to benefit Conservative insiders,” says ETFO President David Mastin. “The education funding formula, last fully reviewed over 20 years ago, has systematically failed elementary students and schools. For nearly three decades, special education, programs for English language learners, supports for student mental health, and school operations and maintenance have been chronically underfunded. This is deliberate neglect, mismanagement, and a direct attack on children’s right to a strong public education.”

As the provincial legislature returns, l’Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO), Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA), Ontario School Board Council of Unions (CUPE-OSBCU), and Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) have issued the following joint statement:

The Ford government introduced Bill 33, the Supporting Children and Students Act, earlier this year. It is a regressive piece of legislation that does nothing to support students and everything to consolidate power in the hands of the Minister of Education.  

Our schools are facing a crisis, but not the one this government is pretending to solve. Ontario’s public education system is buckling under the weight of underfunding. Class sizes are ballooning. Essential programs are being cut. Teachers and education workers are stretched to the breaking point. Student needs are going unmet, resulting in learning gaps and growing school violence. Put simply, there are not nearly enough trained professionals or services to properly support our students.  

A new province-wide poll commissioned by the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) shows that twice as many Ontarians want to keep elected school board trustees (49 per cent) as want to eliminate elected trustees (24 per cent). Support for elected trustees climbs to 59 per cent among parents with school-aged children. These results indicate strong public support for local democratic control of school boards.

The Ford government’s proposed Bill 33 would allow the province to replace elected school board trustees with government-appointed supervisors whenever it determines it is in the “public interest”. The Minister of Education has further threatened to get rid of elected school board trustees entirely, prior to scheduled elections on October 26, 2026.

“There is widespread concern about the erosion of local representation,” warns ETFO President David Mastin. “Eliminating elected trustees is not just a bureaucratic shift; it’s a direct attack on democratic governance. It centralizes power, undermines equity, silences marginalized voices, harms students, and strips communities of their right to shape public education. This is a dismantling of democracy in real time. Let’s mobilize and defend our schools and our students.”

TORONTO, ON – On October 5, World Teachers’ Day, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) recognizes the expertise and extraordinary commitment of teachers in Ontario and around the world.

“Ontario’s teachers are at the heart of public education, bringing skill, compassion, and dedication to inspire learning and to help every student reach their potential,” says ETFO President David Mastin. “On World Teachers’ Day, we celebrate their impact and reaffirm our commitment to ensuring they have the resources and supports they need to help every student learn, grow, and succeed.”

TORONTO, ON – The following is a statement from the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) President David Mastin responding to a rumour that the Ford government is considering replacing Ontario’s 72 school boards with four:

“Collapsing Ontario’s 72 school boards into four isn’t just a bad idea, it’s reckless, undemocratic, and an outright attack on public education. This move would silence parents, erase community voices, eliminate democratically elected trustees, and cut families off from decision-makers. Ford is manufacturing yet another crisis in education to tighten his grip on our schools.

It is not hyperbole to say that this unprecedented power grab would decimate public education. It would destabilize schools across the province and put student learning, safety, and well-being at risk. Premier Ford and Education Minister Calandra aren’t reforming education; they are intent on dismantling a world-class public education system that educators have built and defended for generations.

In the spring, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) surveyed its 84,000 members to gather input to determine the Federation’s next round of central bargaining priorities for both the Teacher/Occasional Teacher Table and the Education Worker Table. Class size emerged as a unifying issue for members across the province, validating the issue as a focus during the next round of bargaining.

“For years, educators have called for smaller class sizes that better support student learning. In 2026, ETFO is bringing this fight back to the bargaining table with renewed urgency and collective strength,” says ETFO President Karen Brown. “We’ve seen how overcrowded classrooms limit what’s possible: how they stretch educators too thin, reduce opportunities for individualized support, and make it harder to create the kind of calm, safe, and inclusive spaces our students deserve.”

TORONTO, ON – To mark the beginning of Pride Month, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) is celebrating in solidarity with the 2SLGBTQ+ community. The Federation continues to prioritize fostering safe, inclusive, and supportive environments for its members, students, and individuals in the community who identify as 2SLGBTQ+ and their allies.

This year’s theme of Pride and Solidarity refers not only to the togetherness and connection present within 2SLBGTQ+ communities, but also to the influence and strength within labour organizations to mobilize for continued change. ETFO and others within the labour movement must work collectively to affirm that 2SLGBTQ+ rights are human rights.

TORONTO, ON – Below is a statement from the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) following today’s announcement from Ontario Minister of Education Paul Calandra:

“ETFO strongly opposes the Ford government’s latest legislative proposal that grants the Minister of Education additional powers to more easily place elected school boards under supervision and that forces the presence of police officers in schools. This is not education reform; it’s authoritarianism cloaked in the language of accountability, designed to deflect blame, suppress dissenting voices, and tighten political control over a public education system this government has failed to adequately fund.