Cutting teachers won’t modernize system, report says

Investing in schools key to student success, education group argues

Cutting teachers and other resources is no way to improve student learning or update the public school system, says a new report from advocacy and research group People for Education. The Ford government has “announced its plans for modernization, including better access to technology, more attention to skills that prepare students for jobs, and a renewed math strategy … the Ministry of Education also acknowledged the importance of transferable skills such as collaboration, problem-solving, and citizenship,” says the report, to be released Monday.

“However, at the same time, the government reduced funding for the teachers and other supports that will play a key role in this modernization.”

The annual research report by the group surveys schools and tracks everything from use of technology to the number of teacher librarians in a school.

If students are going to be “well equipped for a future that we can’t even imagine right now, we need to make sure they have access to a wide range of adults, opportunities and experiences while they’re in school,” said Annie Kidder, the group’s executive director.

“This is why we’re raising concerns about implementing policy change and funding cuts simultaneously. There is no question that our public education system must continue to evolve and modernize,” she added, but there has to be “evidence to inform policy change” and changes must be “implemented coherently and with care.”

The provincial government has announced plans to phase out about 3,500 teaching positions over the next four years by boosting class sizes starting in Grade 4 or moving to online learning. People for Education believes more than 7,000 jobs will be lost, while unions have estimated about 10,000.

In total, the plans will save more than $850 million over four years.

Kidder has said “there is no evidence anywhere that says cutting money from education is the best route to promote student success. On the contrary, economists agree that investment in education — from early childhood through to post-secondary — pays off at least tenfold.”

While the government has said it is spending $700 million more on education, that is largely due to increased enrolment and the child-care rebate, as well as the first instalment of its $1.6-billion “attrition protection” fund so the province can keep its promise that no teacher will involuntarily lose their job due to larger classes.

But teachers and education workers may still be laid off for other reasons, in particular the loss of local grants, which are a part of collective agreements, as well as educators hired under other programs cut by the government.

The Toronto District School Board alone has to axe $42.1 million because of provincial cuts, and has also warned teachers that those will less seniority could be “bumped” out of their positions by those with more years on the job.

The report also urges caution on the province’s plans to rapidly introduce a mandatory four e-learning credits starting in 2020, in order for students to graduate, when currently only about 5 per cent of students take courses online.