Teachers from several local boards rally

Teachers from several bargaining units weren’t in the classroom on Tuesday.

They were on a 1 day strike as they’re at an impasse with the provincial government.

Local spokesperson for the Ontario Catholic Teachers Association Rick Belisle says the key issue is class sizes.

“Increasing class sizes from the current 22 to 25 with no cap isn’t good. No kid has ever said I like bigger classes. It’s not conducive to learning. At the end of the day we’re standing up for children.” he says.

He says the mandatory e -learning is another big concern.

Parker Robinson is with the OSSTF.

He says no matter what education system you belong too the cuts are deep and students are being impacted.

MPP Vic Fedeli has issued a statement:
“Parents are rightfully frustrated that every few years teacher unions escalate against the government of the day. Premiers Rae, Harris, McGuinty, Wynne, and now Ford may not have much in common ideologically – except for the cyclical challenge of teacher union escalation. It is unacceptable that OSSTF would ramp up strike action at a time when high school students are preparing for exams. Our message to teachers’ union leaders is clear: enough is enough with the strikes that only hurt our kids. Let’s focus our energies on getting a deal that keeps students in class. To address these realities, our Government has launched its Support for Parents Initiative that puts money directly into the pockets of parents. More information on the initiative can be found by visiting www.Ontario.ca/SupportForParents. The immense uptake of our Support for Parents Initiative speaks volumes to the level of uncertainty union-led strike action causes.”

(photo by station staff)