A rally in support of maintaining public education has been lined up for next week locally.
In a release, Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation officials say they’ll be rallying outside MPP Vic Fedeli’s North Bay office next Thursday afternoon.
Another rally is also taking place outside Parry Sound Muskoka MPP Norm Miller’s office.
The union says any cuts to education directed at front line workers will have an immediate impact on schools and the student’s learning environment.
“We are sending a friendly reminder to our elected officials that the people of Ontario are proud of our publicly funded education system and it deserves to be supported,” commented Glen Hodgson, President of the local Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, “Our working environment is the students learning environment and there is simply no waste that can be cut when it comes to teachers, support staff and staff at colleges and universities. Any cuts at this level will hurt students and our communities.”
“My members are already struggling to keep up with the increase in behavioural issues in our schools not to mention the additional stress created by more identified students and special needs that have to be accommodated,” added Troy Simkins, President of the Educational Support Staff (ESS) unit, “we need more support, not less and any kind of reduction in our budget would have an immediate affect on the students we work with every day.”
The education groups have also arranged to meet with the two MPP’s to discuss their concerns before the spring Provincial budget is finalized.

Filed under: mpp-vic-fedeli, osstf