KAWARTHA LAKES-The Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation District 15 says Thursday’s Ontario budget has “confirmed their worst fears for education with essential programs being gutted.”
“The cuts mean an immediate loss of 23.5 secondary teachers in the Trillium Lakelands District School Board said a release from OSSTF president Colin Matthew. “This eliminates 141 sections from our high schools – 20 sections per school on average. These cuts will drive up class sizes in the core credits – bigger math and English classes, some of which are already at 33 students, meaning far less individual time for students – and will be the death knell for specialized programming like the arts, technology, and senior elective classes.”
The board confirmed the cuts to Kawartha 411.
The Ontario government has announced a three-year timeline to move the secondary class average to 28:1 – an average and not a cap the union stresses and the TLDSB stands to lose as many as 45 more teachers, a loss of a total of over 400 sections or 50 per high school according to the union.
Matthew says he is fearful that cuts of this magnitude will make running smaller high schools very difficult and that students will be severely restricted in course offerings beyond the most basic core.
The cuts have forced the closure of 4 adult/alternative education centres in TLDSB. Trustees noted at a recent board meeting that these centres service students with academic, social, and mental health needs that make the traditional high school an unsuitable environment for learning or achieving a diploma as well as adults who are working on their diploma to upgrade their job prospects. Matthew is raising alarm about the human, social and economic costs of reducing access to service for our most vulnerable population. “These closures affect Bracebridge, Fenelon Falls, Gravenhurst, and Huntsville effective June 30 meaning those students will be forced back into the local high schools next fall if they choose to attend.” the release stated.
The cuts come as the board attempts to deal with an expected 7.6 million dollars in funding cuts in the new Ontario budget.
OSSTF will be hosting a series of public forums over the coming weeks and we will bring you more information on that when it becomes available.
