Teachers’ union speaking out against continued virtual learning option in 2022-23 school year

An Ontario teachers’ union is speaking out against the province’s announcement that virtual schooling will continue to be an option in the 2022-23 school year.

The Canadian Press reports that Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced next year's funding allotments for school boards Thursday, including investments to address learning loss during the pandemic. 

He said that while his commitment is to keep children in school, about 150,000 of Ontario's two million students opted for remote learning this year and valued that choice.

"The priority of this government is in-class learning," Lecce said at a library in Vaughan, Ont.

"There's nothing more important to the mental, physical and social emotional health of a child than to be in school with their peers, with their friends, in front of our educators." 

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) said in a press release that “the announcement that the government is forcing all school boards to implement emergency remote learning for the next school year is irresponsible and makes no sense.”

The union said it supports a cautious approach to public health measures, especially for this school year.

But Premier Doug Ford needs to answer why this government is not planning to get all students back to in-person learning in September, said the union’s press release.

“The government cannot be allowed to equate remote learning with the instruction that students receive in-person in the public education system,” ETFO president Karen Brown said in a press release. 

“It is the government’s responsibility to create a safe learning environment for all students in schools, but instead of making necessary adjustments, they continue to stretch education resources and put added pressure on school boards, teachers, and education workers by requiring them to provide online learning in the coming school year.”

ETFO firmly believes that in-person learning is the best, most equitable way for students to learn, according to the press release. 

Instead of extending the reach of online learning in public schools, ETFO calls on the government to implement the systemic changes required to create safe learning environments inside all Ontario’s schools, including smaller class sizes, adequate supports for students and special education students in particular, ventilation improvements, and a commitment to in-person learning for all students.