Liberal Government Continues to Neglect Education Support Staff

New education funding takes initial steps to address real funding concerns

OSSTF TORONTO, ON - Mar 19 2007 - The funding projections announced by the McGuinty government for 2007-2008 include an increase of $781 million for a total of about $18.3 billion in education. Most of the new spending is already committed and will fund new teachers, provide some flexibility to school boards, and some improvements in transportation, French language education and First Nations, Metis and Inuit education.

“While today’s announcement by Minister Wynne is billed as good news for Ontario’s publicly funded schools and the government can claim to address some problems in the education system, some of the underlying problems in funding remain,” said Ken Coran, president-elect of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF).

Adding, “For those who still did not believe it had begun, today’s announcement of ten improvements to the funding formula certainly shows that we are in a full-fledged provincial election campaign. OSSTF acknowledges that steps have been taken in addressing some of the funding issues facing Ontario schools. With many Ontario school boards still running the risk of deficits, however, OSSTF will be anxious to see how this funding will be implemented and if it is sufficient to address the real needs of students in the province and sufficient to alleviate employee uncertainty and potential support staff layoffs,” Coran said.

“While $35 million in funding for local program enhancements and increased local flexibility to pay for increased music, art, physical education programs or outdoor education activities may sound like a lot, it is only about $7,500 per school. It will also do little to address funding shortfalls in other areas of crucial support services such as professional student services personnel, office and clerical staff, library and educational assistants,” he concluded.

OSSTF/FEESO, founded in 1919, has 60,000 members across Ontario. They include public high school teachers, occasional teachers, educational assistants, continuing education teachers and instructors, psychologists, secretaries, speech-language pathologists, social workers, plant support personnel, attendance counsellors, and many others in education.

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