An announcement made by the Ontario Education Minister on Tuesday is a step in the right direction, according to the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF) District 8 president.
However, Shane Restall said it also leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Restall said the announcement that class sizes would not increase to 28 from 23 or one more student than the current average.
“For instance, the largest class size we have in Avon Maitland is 31 students in a senior academic class, but does that mean that class cap is gone and any number of students could be put into that class to reach the average of 23," he said.
Restall said OSSTF also has some questions about the announcement that the government is willing to make e-learning optional. Restall said the government's statement indicated parents could opt children out of the e-learning courses.
“It would still be a mandatory requirement for graduation but it's not clear what the opt-out means. I'm not sure if that's going to be a difficult process for the parents and a difficult process for the school," he said.
Restall added the government's insistence that any increase in compensation be capped at one per cent is not an issue for the teachers. He said if the schools continue to look and feel the way they do now, compensation will not be a major issue.