Minister slams ‘fearmongering’ by critics predicting education staff cuts

The minister in charge of Ontario’s roughly $30-billion education system says critics of the Tory government’s reforms who are predicting layoffs are “fearmongering.” Education Minister Lisa Thompson took a shot at the critics Friday following two funding announcements some say will do nothing to steer more money to the classroom or protect education workers likely to lose their jobs as the Progressive Conservative government increases class sizes and requires high school students to take more classes online.

Unions are calling a reduction in school board funding by $54 per student “an attack on public education and a brutal attack on education workers.” Overall, grants for student needs funding will be $24.66 billion, while up slightly from $24.53 billion due to a rise in enrolment, but it’s a decrease in dollars per student.

The funding comes in the wake of last month’s announcements that high school class sizes will increase from an average of 22 to 28 over four years. Average class sizes for grades 4 to 8 will increase by one student per classroom from 23 to 24.

Across the province, CUPE expects a minimum of 2,500 education workers, which include educational assistants, custodians, library workers and school secretaries, will be out of work. “There is huge reduction in the per pupil funding. We’re seeing some reductions in school governance. We are also seeing some reduction in learning opportunities grants. These are all things that will impact our members,” said Laura Walton, president of CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions.

“We have not been able to get this ministry to acknowledge that there are tens of thousands of people doing key work services in our schools — outside of teachers — which is really disappointing.” But Thompson said the Education Ministry is trying to get “education back on track” and student achievement is her government’s “No. 1 priority.”

“We need to give our school boards time to reflect on their funding envelope for the next school year and I think it’s doing a disservice to fearmonger,” she said.

Thompson also announced a $1.6-billion “attrition protection” fund Friday, designed to ensure there will be no teacher layoffs due to larger class sizes. Across Southwestern Ontario, hundreds of high school teachers for the public boards have been told they could lose their jobs as boards tried to plan for the fall before the funding was announced. Thompson has called for speculation over what might happen to stop because it only causes “anxiety.”

She said she has asked education partners to come to the table and work with her.

“We look forward to hearing from our labour partners and our education partners with regards to ideas, suggestions and concerns for our plan and possible ideas for offset,” she said. “I am sincere in wanting our education partners to come to the table and work with us.”