Local schools will be hit with two days of education strikes next week.
The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has announced strikes that will impact students at the Renfrew County District School Board on February 3rd and 6th impacting all elementary and secondary schools. The Upper Canada District School Board which includes schools in Lanark County will be impacted by a strike two days in a row. Elementary teachers with the Upper Canada District School Board will strike January 29th, February 5th and February 6th.
The ETFO represents 83,000 public elementary school teachers, occasional teachers and some early childhood educators. As a result of the job action winter report cards for elementary students won’t be issued. High school students will receive a report card with marks, but no comments. The ETFO says fair contracts must include appropriate funding for special education, a strategy to address classroom violence, maintaining the internationally recognized kindergarten program, fair hiring practices, class sizes that meet the needs of elementary students and compensation that keeps up with inflation. Strikes could be avoided if a contract is reached by the end of the month (January 31st).
Education Minister Stephan Lecce says students across the province continue to be hurt by union led escalation. In regards to the lack of report cards he says yet again teacher unions are risking student success and preventing parents from seeing valuable information about their child.
