Elementary students with the Rainbow District School Board will not receive report cards next month due to teachers' work-to-rule.
In making the announcement Jan. 23, the Rainbow board joins several other Ontario school boards in cancelling report cards because of job action by the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO).
The Globe and Mail reports that as part of the job action, ETFO told its members not to input data electronically, and instead provide principals with a list of marks or a comment per section for kindergarten students.
“Due to the current provincial labour situation with the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), we regret to inform you that report cards will not be generated for students in JK to Grade 8,” said a letter to parents and guardians posted on the Rainbow board's website Thursday.
“This includes the Term One Report Card and the Kindergarten Communication of Learning.”
The board goes on to say that as always, parents and guardians are welcome to contact and meet with their child's teacher about their child's progress.
Teachers continue to assess and evaluate student learning, the board said. They also continue to update Individual Education Plans (IEPs).
Education Minister Stephen Lecce has issued a written statement about the report card cancellations.
"Yet again, teacher union leaders are risking student success and preventing parents from seeing valuable information about their child's performance in class,” he said.
“It underscores our government's insistence that teacher union leaders cancel these strikes that are hurting our kids.
“And it only strengthens our belief that parents want our government to invest in front-line services, not in compensation and other demands, for some of the highest-paid educators in the country."
