Catholic teachers are off the job today in the latest round of job action. Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association (OECTA) Vice President in Renfrew County, Terry Fitzpatrick, says they have members on strike in Arnprior, Renfrew, Pembroke, Petawawa and Deep River today. Yesterday (March 4th), Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced they would lower the average high school class size and make online course optional rather than mandatory.
Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke MPP John Yakabuski welcomes the reasonable proposal. He says this is another step in the right direction to ensure students remain in class. Yakabuski adds it’s time for teacher unions to work with all parties in good faith to reach a deal to end the continued strikes that affect our children.
Fitzpatrick says proposals put forward by the province have not been presented at the bargaining table.
Fitzpatrick says more kids per classroom means less support for the most vulnerable students. He adds they want class sizes to remain the size they are and going from an average of 22 to 23 students per class would result in 1,000 teaching jobs lost. Fitzpatrick says students can’t get into courses because the numbers don’t add up and they have a local high school class with over 38 kids. The OECTA representative says they want to be back in the class, but are fighting for the best interests of students. Fitzpatrick says it’s not about the money because teachers have already lost more in strike days than was originally requested.