Elementary Teachers Support Government Action On Domestic Violence

November 28, 2005

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) applauds the provincial government for taking action to reduce the incidence of domestic violence.

“The government’s conference, Finding Common Ground, that begins today is another step in educating the public and the professional community about domestic violence,” said ETFO President Emily Noble.

Today the government also announced that it would provide additional funding to increase organizational capacity for agencies that provide women’s shelter and housing supports.

This is in addition to initiatives to train educators to identify and respond to children who experience domestic violence, and increased funding for counselling and support services for women in affordable housing.

“Domestic violence is an issue that affects all parts of our communities,” Noble said. “Every day teachers work with children who are witnessing violence in their homes. It is important that as a society we do all we can to decrease that trauma. “

ETFO is one of the community partners supporting the government’s Domestic Violence Action Plan.

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) represents 70,000 public elementary school teachers and education workers across Ontario and is the largest teacher union in Canada outside of Quebec.