Toronto, ON – L'Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO), Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA), Ontario School Board Council of Unions (CUPE-OSBCU), and Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) issue the following joint statement in response to Ontario’s budget announcement: 

“Ontario families, teachers, and education workers continue to hear the Ford government claim that publicly funded education is benefiting from unprecedented investment. Inside schools, however, the reality is stark: our system is in crisis and the government’s proposed budget, which fails students, teachers, and education workers yet again, will only exacerbate the situation.

Chronic underfunding has led to large classes, rising violence, and an urgent need to address teacher and education worker retention and recruitment. Students with special education needs wait years for assessments and supports, while our members stretch themselves beyond reasonable limits to meet increasingly complex needs without the resources required. These are not signs of ‘historic’ investment, but the predictable outcomes of long-term neglect.

Despite the government’s messaging, per‑student funding (once adjusted for inflation) remains lower than when this government first took office. We remain ready to work constructively and to find solutions through the bargaining process as soon as the government is prepared to come to the table.

While Minister of Education Paul Calandra has said no to early bargaining, the crisis in Ontario’s schools demands leadership, not delays. It’s time to begin the process now and build the stable, well‑resourced education system that students have been denied for too long.

At the bargaining table, we will advocate for the conditions and supports that students, education workers, and teachers need, while continuing to call on the government to make the necessary investments in education. 

We are united and working together for publicly funded education. We will meet this government at the bargaining table, as we continue to champion the investments that Ontario students need to succeed.”

 Martha Hradowy, OSSTF/FEESO President

 René Jansen in de Wal, OECTA President

 Gabrielle Lemieux, AEFO President

 David Mastin, ETFO President

 Joe Tigani, CUPE - OSBCU President