Challenges in Education as School Year Ends

As the school year wraps up, teachers’ unions in London are looking for more backing from the Ford government while they prepare for contract negotiations with the province.

The unions argue that ongoing underfunding has put teachers – and the entire education system – in a tough spot that could be improved with higher budgets for school boards.

“They keep saying there’s more money for education.. but if you’re not keeping pace with inflation and enrollment growth, then it’s fewer dollars per student,” said John Bernans, local branch president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF).

Bernans pointed out that OSSTF estimates show the Ford government has cut about $6 billion from education funding since taking office in 2018.

<p"These cuts have led to various issues, including violence in schools," Bernans noted.

“There are still a lot of concerns around violence and poor behavior in classrooms across the province. It remains a problem, and there continues to be a lack of professional supports for students,” Bernans said.

Special education needs

Michael Thomas, president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario’s (ETFO) Thames Valley branch, mentioned that insufficient funding leads to more than just violence.

“We have a lot of students that are struggling within the system. A lot of their struggles are likely worsened because of gaps in healthcare spending as well, but school boards are having trouble financing support for students facing special education challenges,” Thomas said.

Alongside calls for better funding during the upcoming budget discussions, teachers’ unions also hope to achieve better outcomes regarding their contracts as well, Thomas added.

John Bernans is the local president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF). (Josiane N’Tchoreret Mbiamany/CBC)

The province’s five main education unions notified the government about their intention to negotiate at the beginning of June, expressing common goals: smaller class sizes, increased support for special education, and salary increases.

Their contracts will end in August and Education Minister Paul Calandra expressed optimism that agreements could be reached by Labour Day.

While many educators reflect positively on this past school year, Thomas mentioned that many challenges would still be waiting when they return in fall if negotiations don’t go smoothly over summer break.

Future of trustees still unclear

As they approach the end of this school year, Thomas shared there are also many uncertainties regarding what lies ahead for trustees who have been sidelined from Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) since April 2025.

“The municipal elections are going to be coming up in October, so I think everyone is wondering what that’s actually going to look like,” Thomas said.

The education minister announced last November that boards must establish student and family support offices where parents can escalate issues beyond just individual schools.

However, Thomas referred to trustees as “the link between what happens at the school level and the parent level.”

“Without trustees, it’s challenging for parents not having that avenue to advocate for their students’ needed supports,” Thomas said.

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