“The Ford government’s 2021 budget, which passed in the legislature today with almost $1 billion less for publicly funded schools, favours austerity at the cost of student well-being.

Instead of providing our world-class publicly funded education system with the desperately needed resources to address the harm caused by COVID-19, Premier Doug Ford is deliberately neglecting our schools at a time when the pandemic is far from over.

This government has repeatedly refused to do the right thing, failing our school communities and jeopardizing the health and safety of our students, teachers, and education workers. Ontarians are sure to remember this abdication of leadership at the ballot box next spring.”

Liz Stuart, President of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association