OFL Statement on Publicly Funded Education in Ontario

January 17, 2019

(TORONTO, ON) The Ontario Federation of Labour is joining the call of education unions in Ontario to support and properly fund Ontario’s public education systems.

Education has the power to define and change a person’s life. The hard work and dedication of educators and support staff and their ability to shape the minds of our young people are of paramount importance to families across Ontario.

The OFL represents educators and support staff, who every day, and in both official languages, in Ontario’s public and Catholic school boards provide top-quality education and needed and valued support services. These members work tirelessly to ensure the health and safety of our children and the upkeep and maintenance of their schools and institutions.

For this valued public service to our children, their families and our communities to continue, our government must adequately support and fund Ontario’s public education systems.

The OFL joined in disbelief with Ontario’s education unions, students and parents when last month, the government cut millions of dollars in education funding, mostly from programs meant to serve vulnerable students. This latest move came on the heels of the Ford government’s decision to cancel a $100-million fund earmarked for school repairs, placing Ontario school boards further away from clearing their $15.9-billion repair backlog.

We strongly urge the Ontario Government, as it formulates the budget priorities for 2019, to take immediate action to reverse these existent funding cuts and to restore and improve funding levels that ensure Ontario’s public education systems are properly resourced at the levels they require to provide high-quality education to Ontarians.

The OFL represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. For information, visit www.OFL.ca and follow @OFLabour on Facebook and Twitter.