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.

Read more: Ford government fails Ontario’s students once again by refusing to allocate new education funding

As frontline educators, ETFO members have been struggling with the detrimental impacts of underfunding daily; the ramifications are felt deeply by those in classrooms. Increasing violence in schools, a crisis in teacher retention and recruitment, crumbling infrastructure, insufficient resources, and cuts to essential special education supports are just a few of the challenges educators contend with. The absence of new funding in today’s budget only exacerbates these issues.

The government knows that without adequate provincial funding there will be reductions in essential student supports and programs across the province. This knowledge makes their chronic underfunding even more egregious.

Without adequate investment, school boards are again being forced to do more with less. This means cuts to valuable programs and services as boards seek to balance their budgets. In many cases, these services support our most vulnerable students, including those with special education needs, Indigenous and racialized students, and English language learners.

Rather than advocating fiercely for the funding students deserve, as their duty entails, many school board trustees have been forced to implement successive funding cuts by the Ford government. These cuts hurt students and educators. We call on trustees to stand up to the government and demand more for the students they serve.

The Ford government is jeopardizing students’ futures and hindering our collective progress. We urge the province to reconsider its budgetary priorities. They must provide adequate, sustained and equitable funding so every child and educator can thrive.”

ETFO represents approximately 83,000 members, including public elementary teachers, occasional teachers, designated early childhood educators, education support personnel, and professional support personnel. Visit BuildingBetterSchools.ca.