More than 1,000 people gathered at Victoria Park in downtown London on Saturday to rally in support of publicly funded education. The rally was part of a province-wide series of events called “Together for Publicly Funded Education,” bringing together teachers, education workers, families and community members to call for increased investment in Ontario’s education system. Similar rallies were held in Toronto, Ottawa, Sudbury and Thunder Bay. Organizers say the demonstrations come amid concerns about declining per-student funding, staff recruitment and retention, growing class sizes, school safety and access to special education and mental health supports. The education unions behind the rallies point to a $6.5-billion funding gap and say schools need more resources to meet students’ needs. “Ontario’s students deserve schools that are fully funded, fully staffed, and equipped to meet their needs,” said Martha Hradowy, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation. The unions also raised concerns about provincial control over school boards and the potential effects of the current round of contract negotiations on students and families. The rally was organized by leaders from Ontario’s major education unions, including the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association, the Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario and CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions. The organizations are calling on the provincial government to invest in classrooms, hire more education workers and provide additional supports for students.
