Elementary Teachers' Message for World Teachers' Day: Vote!

October 4, 2011

TORONTO - On the eve of World Teachers' Day, the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) is asking Ontarians to vote for public education.

"On World Teachers' Day, we celebrate and support teachers," said ETFO President Sam Hammond. "The next day, we want voters to support public education as they go to the polls."

"The party that governs has a profound impact on our public education system and our students' learning conditions," said Hammond. “We need to elect candidates who will continue the progress of the last eight years- progress that includes the introduction of full-day kindergarten, smaller class sizes and more specialist teachers."

"Thanks to these kinds of investments and the dedication and hard work of teachers, our education system is one of the best in the world," added Hammond.

ETFO has sent thousands of stickers to its members with the slogan, 'I vote because education matters' and it has garnered major attention in traditional and social media with its advertising campaign, 'I refuse to vote against kids'.

"One need only look at how public education and students have fared under recent provincial governments to understand why the majority of ETFO members want us to have a voice in the political process," said Hammond."

World Teachers' Day will be celebrated on Wednesday October 5th. The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario represents 76,000 elementary public school teachers and education professionals across the province and is the largest teacher federation in Canada.

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario represents 76,000 elementary public school teachers and education professionals across the province and is the largest teacher federation in Canada.