Rumoured billion-dollar cuts to Ontario’s education budget sparked a rally by educators and parents outside MPP Sylvia Jones’ office in Orangeville Feb. 7.
“A lot of our members are dealing with the same issues in classrooms today. They don’t have the necessary supports in place for students with special needs and they are dealing with a lot of violent behaviours,” said Andrew Aloe, president of ETFO’s Upper Grand Occasional Teacher Local. “We have a teacher who received a concussion last year because a student punched her in the ear. Our members are experiencing this sort of thing on a daily basis.”
“It’s a shame governments look solely at the costs and the supposed waste there is in education, when really it should be viewed more as an investment. We need to protect our kids and give them the best kind of schooling they can get,” Mr. Aloe said.
“Our class sizes in the junior grades are perfect right now. My big fear is that class sizes will become larger again,” said Grade 6 teacher Bettina Martin. “I have taught a class of 33 students before… It would appear, to me, that the needs of our students are becoming greater while the support we’re receiving is being reduced.”
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