TORONTO, ON – Yesterday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Canada’s first National School Food Program. This significant federal investment of $1 billion over five years will provide meals to 400,000 more children every year, beyond those served by existing school food programs.

“By investing in this program, the federal government is demonstrating its commitment to the well-being of Canada’s youth and the nation’s prosperity,” says Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) President Karen Brown. “However, for the program to be successful, the funds must be administered efficiently and effectively. Ontarians cannot afford another failed implementation by the Ford government akin to its mismanagement of federal child care funding, which led to delays and frustration.”

TORONTO, ON – The Ford government has failed Ontario’s students once again by shamefully refusing to allocate new funding to adequately support a high-quality public education system. The following is a statement from the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO):

“By once again neglecting to allocate adequate funding in today’s provincial budget, the Ford Conservative government has chosen to perpetuate a crisis that continues to undermine public education. Despite a growing need to invest in Ontario’s education system, the government persists in depriving it of the resources and supports it desperately needs. This callous disregard is a damning indictment of the government’s priorities.

The Ontario Teachers’ Federation (OTF) has declined the Ministry of Education’s request to support the amendment of the 50-day re-employment rule to 95 days for some retired teachers and administrators for the 2023-2024 school year.

In each of the last three school years, OTF has reluctantly agreed to the Ministry’s request to temporarily increase the limit to help address some of the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Amending the rule was only ever envisioned as a short-term measure. Deflecting responsibility onto retired teachers is neither a sufficient nor a sustainable option to address staffing challenges. Changing the rule for retired members neither encourages working teachers to remain in the system nor does it attract prospective candidates to join the profession.

Minister of Education Stephen Lecce and the Ford government have finally admitted that they have a teacher recruitment and retention problem. In an article published in the Toronto Star on February 21, the minister said to reporters that the province is looking at “every option available” to help ease the shortage of teachers in school boards across Ontario. The government faces the same challenges with recruiting and retaining education workers who provide services and supports to students as well.

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) have been highlighting this issue for years, and have offered to work meaningfully with the government to realize solutions that address and alleviate the many unfilled teacher and education worker positions in school boards across the province.

It should come as no surprise to the Ford government that the growing teacher shortage in Ontario, which is actually a recruitment and retention crisis, is a mess of their own making. However, instead of taking responsibility for the shortage and engaging in meaningful consultation with teachers and education experts to strategize solutions, the government continues to avoid responsibility and pursue their misguided priorities. They seem content to offer short-term, temporary, PR-focused schemes that purposefully fail to address the deep rooted reasons why many teacher positions remain unfilled in schools across the province.

TORONTO, ON – The following is a statement from Karen Brown, President of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) on the Ontario Court of Appeal’s ruling on Bill 124:

“In November 2022, the Ontario Court of Justice ruled Bill 124 infringed upon union members’ right to freedom of association under the Charter and struck it down as unconstitutional. Instead of accepting the Court’s decision, the Ford government pressed forward with a costly, taxpayer-funded appeal that was heard last June.

The ruling issued today by the Ontario Court of Appeal rightly confirms what we’ve known to be true since the unlawful legislation was introduced: Bill 124 is an unconstitutional attack on workers’ rights in this province. We are pleased that the Court has upheld democracy and restored the rights of public sector workers in Ontario.

TORONTO, ON – Beyond celebrating Black History Month in February, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) urges a year-long focus on Black excellence. ETFO also calls on individuals to actively challenge anti-Black racism as we work together to build a more just, inclusive society. This task starts with education.

Black History Month provides an opportunity to acknowledge and honour the contributions and accomplishments of Black Canadians while also addressing the ongoing issues that have adverse effects on this community.