Education Minister Paul Calandra visits the newly constructed St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Elementary School in Bradford West Gwillimbury on Aug. 20, 2026.
Education Minister Paul Calandra expresses that he remains “very optimistic” about the upcoming school year, even though it will start without a new contract for Ontario’s teachers and education workers.
“School will open as usual,” Calandra stated at an unrelated news conference in Bradford West Gwillimbury on Thursday. “The year will start as scheduled, and it is my expectation that kids will be in the classroom for a very long time. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t expect the year to be completed and students to be in the classroom the entire time.”
Current education contracts are set to expire at the end of the month. Negotiations for a new deal have stalled before they really began, with both parties unable to agree on which issues should be addressed with the province and which should be handled locally.
“Every time we negotiate with the teacher unions, there are several points we don’t agree on that end up going to the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) and cause delays,” Calandra mentioned. “This is not new.”
🎧 Local news stories that matter most to you
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts to get notified of new episodes every day.
Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation president Martha Hradowy claims that the government is trying to centralize talks further by moving issues like transfer, layoff, and recall language away from local discussions.
Hradowy argues that negotiations should continue over key issues both sides agree are important, such as class sizes and workloads.
The issue regarding central-local division has been brought before the OLRB, effectively halting bargaining efforts.
However, Calandra insists it’s crucial to understand what matters will be negotiated centrally before tackling negotiations overall.
“You can’t negotiate wages; you can’t negotiate classroom sizes if you don’t know exactly what you’re negotiating centrally and what you’re negotiating locally.”
During ETFO’s annual meeting, union members indicated that strike action could be considered if no agreement is reached; however, job action isn’t their first option.
ETFO warned that Ontario’s education system is facing a “crisis,” pointing out chronic underfunding along with concerns about sick leave policies affecting teachers and challenges educators face in classrooms.
🎧 Listen to daily headlines that matter most
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts to get notified of new episodes every day.
Calandra responded to questions while visiting the newly built $27.9 million St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Elementary School, which will accommodate over 500 students and provide 49 licensed child care spaces.
The province notes that this fall, Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board will also welcome students at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Elementary School in Tottenham, which has capacity for 500 students and 49 licensed child care spaces. The cost of building this school was $28.2 million.
Holy Trinity Catholic High School in Bradford West Gwillimbury will add 276 student spaces thanks to a $10.9 million expansion.
According to officials, Simcoe County District School Board has received funding approval for five new projects expected to open within five years.
These projects include a $6.1 million addition for 141 student spaces at Baxter Central Public Elementary School in Essa Township; a $6.5 million addition providing 184 student spaces at Emma King Elementary School in Barrie; a new elementary school accommodating 426 students in Tottenham costing $20.2 million; a $4.7 million addition giving Nottawa Elementary School in Clearview Township an extra 144 student spaces; plus a replacement elementary school for Barrie costing $29.9 million with space for 665 students.
with files from The Canadian Press
Source link
Source link
