Ontario's education minister is calling this week's protest by students across the province a "disappointing day for Ontario's parents and students".
In a news release late Thursday, Lisa Thompson said that she was not pleased to see Ontario teachers' unions condoning student walkouts at schools across the province.
"Teachers' unions are clearly not discouraging this stunt," she said.
She also urged school boards to take action to discipline anyone who abandons their classroom responsibilities.
"In the private sector, people know that if you skip work without justification, you don't get paid," she said.
Thompson called on the teacher unions to work with her government to face the real challenges facing Ontario's education system -- such as the fact that too many of kids are failing math and graduating without the skills necessary to successfully enter the workforce.