Representatives of organizations speaking for Ontario teachers and students said at Queen’s Park on Tuesday that the provincial government is pointing to alleged financial mismanagement by school boards, including the Toronto District School Board, in order to shift focus away from what they describe as long-standing underfunding of public education. The Canadian Press
Teacher unions and student representatives are pushing back against Ontario’s growing number of school board takeovers, arguing the province is shifting attention away from what they describe as years of underfunding in public education.
At a news conference held Tuesday at Queen’s Park, leaders from major teacher federations and student groups criticized the provincial government for placing seven school boards under supervision over the past year. The organizations included the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF), the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association (OSTA-AECO), and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.
Claims of Chronic Underfunding
“Supervision doesn’t address chronic underfunding, it does not solve staffing shortages, it does not reduce class sizes,” said OSSTF president Martha Hradowy.
“What it does is it distracts from the day-to-day realities that students, education workers and teachers are living through in classrooms,” she added.
ETFO president David Mastin pointed to a report that estimates the province has underfunded public education by $6.3 billion since 2018. According to the educators, these financial pressures have left boards struggling to balance budgets.
“These are not school board failures,” Hradowy said. “They are predictable results of years of underfunding. Instead of taking responsibility for those choices, this government is reframing an underfunding crisis as a governance issue.”
Minister Considers Eliminating Trustees
Education Minister Paul Calandra has placed seven boards under provincial supervision since taking office in March. The province has said the boards mismanaged their finances.
Calandra has also signaled he is open to removing elected school board trustees entirely in 2026 and replacing them with provincially appointed supervisors. Last year, the province directed all 72 school boards to prioritize classroom spending.
A spokesperson for the minister said he “will not hesitate to step in when school boards fail to stay on track.”
The province has defended its actions by citing concerns about financial management and student safety. Officials pointed to incidents involving proposed teacher layoffs, spending on a luxury hotel suite at a Blue Jays game, and students attending classes in a partially demolished school.
In response to criticism from teacher and student groups, the spokesperson said, “OSSTF, ETFO, and OSTA-AECO should clarify which of these student-focused interventions they oppose.”
Debate Over Student and Parent Voice
Opposition to the takeovers also centres on democratic representation. Students and parents argue that removing elected trustees reduces their ability to raise concerns about school issues.
Ahnaaf Hassan, a Grade 12 student and student trustee with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), said he has not been able to meet with the board’s provincial supervisor to discuss student matters this year.
“The concerns of students are not heard. The TDSB is completely shutting out student and community voices,” he said.
The TDSB came under provincial supervision in June. The appointed supervisor has not yet publicly responded to the concerns raised at Tuesday’s news conference.
Critics say families now lack a clear local representative to address decisions that directly affect them, including proposed school pool closures, reductions to music programs and possible changes to class size limits.
A Growing Education Debate
The province passed legislation in November that expanded the education minister’s authority to place boards under supervision. The government says this move will help restore stability and direct more funding to classrooms.
Teacher unions and student leaders, however, argue that stronger oversight does not solve funding shortfalls. They are calling for the government to end the takeovers and increase investment in public education.
“End these takeovers, restore democratic school board governance and invest adequately in public education,” Mastin said.
As the debate continues, tensions between the province and education groups remain high, with both sides claiming to act in the best interests of students.
