Elementary Teachers Laud Government Commitment to Public Education

Elementary public school teachers are pleased the Ontario budget released today maintains the government’s commitment to improving public education. We know there will be more nformation about education funding when the Ministry of Education announces the 2006-07 grants to school boards later this spring.

“Today’s budget indicates the McGuinty government is keeping its promise to reduce primary class size,” said David Clegg, first vice-president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO). “The government is also increasing the number of elementary specialist teachers – teachers who provide programs in the arts, music and physical education.”

ETFO also applauds the investment in Aboriginal literacy initiatives contained in today’s provincial budget. “Aboriginal children need access to more books and learning materials of all kinds,” Clegg said. “We know that lack of resources is one of the factors that has hampered their educational success.

“We commend the government for committing $800,000 to support the Lieutenant Governor’s summer literacy camps,” Clegg said. “This is an initiative ETFO also supports.”

The budget has provided some breathing room to organizations, school boards, and municipalities that have begun building new child care spaces, Clegg noted. It protects 14,000 spaces currently under development.

ETFO supports the government’s Best Start initiatives and has been among the groups pressuring the federal government to reverse its decision to cancel the federal-provincial child care agreements.