Province puts up $1.6 billion to avoid layoffs

By Dave Flaherty/The Oshawa Express

Durham school board’s trustee chair says those in education cannot yet “breathe a sigh of relief” even as the province sets aside more than $1 billion to avoid teacher layoffs.

Ontario Education Minister Lisa Thompson is telling school boards $1.6 billion will be put in an attrition protection fund, which is expected to help avoid layoffs.

Despite Thompson stating repeatedly there would be no “involuntary layoffs” of teachers in the province, several boards across Ontario issued notices to hundreds of teachers over the past few weeks.

Durham District School Board trustee chair Michael Barrett told The Oshawa Express he is encouraged some concerns have been heard by the province.

“That $1.6 billion that is there today wasn’t there [before], so it is at least a step forward,” he said.

However, to Barrett, it is unclear whether this is “a one-year reprieve.”

Because of strong regional population growth, the Durham board has been able to mitigate some potential layoffs.

But the province is still moving ahead with plans to eliminate approximately 3,500 teaching jobs over a four-year period, and that effect will be felt here, Barrett explains.

“There are still less resources, and less teachers in the system…we are going to have less teachers per pupil than we did before, and that’s problematic,” he said.

Barrett said school boards will need to make sure education is not “on the chopping block.”

Barrett adds it’s “always the most vulnerable students that get the short end of the stick.”

There were no layoff notices for secondary school teachers within DDSB this year.

Barrett says this is because Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation District 13, the local union branch, has a provision in its collective agreement that average class sizes are 22 students to one teacher.

The province announced earlier this year average class sizes will increase to 28 students to one teacher over the next four years.

However, the province cannot force this increase.

“The province does not have the authority in their powers to be able to say class sizes are now 28 if there is a collective agreement that specifies a different arrangement,” Barrett said. “This government understands you can’t abdicate collective agreements.”

There is a potential for problems, Barrett notes.

“The issue becomes does the province fund classes of 28 students to one teacher or 22 students to one teacher. That’s the issue. It’s all about the funding model.”