Teachers come together
The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario is created from a merger of the Federation of Women Teachers’ Associations of Ontario and the Ontario Public School Teachers’ Federation. The first annual meeting of ETFO is held.
Massive changes comes to the Ontario education system as 129 school boards are forced to merge in to 72.
A new curriculum (with no resources for implementation), new report cards (with no technical support to produce them) and the threat of ongoing teacher testing prompt thousands of teachers to retire. Teachers are brought under the Ontario Labour Relations Act, putting them on the same footing as hundreds of thousands of other workers in Ontario when it comes to their bargaining rights.
ETFO’s first annual meeting votes to take action to defeat the Harris Conservative government.
Despite opposition from all sectors of society, the government pushes Bill 160 through the legislature.