“Public Education is at a breaking point!” Ontario schools are falling apart

BY PAUL JUNOR

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) is one of the largest education unions in the province and has been at the forefront of fighting for an equitable and quality public education. A press release was issued on Wednesday, January 15^th, 2025, to advertise an: innovative, creative, and informative campaign that it launched to bring awareness about the state of public education in Ontario.

Karen Littlewood, President of OSSTF/FEESO states, “Public education is at a breaking point. Our schools are falling apart, our teachers and education workers are burning out, and students are being left behind. This is a result of Doug Ford’s government systematically defunding public education while teasing privatization that would devastate most families who rely on our public schools. Through this campaign, we’re urging Ontarians to take action to protect the future of our children and our communities.”

“When we erode publicly funded schools, we leave children behind. Children lose critical skills and the freedom to learn and get ahead. Our communities suffer; these students are our future.”

Natasha Wilson, CEO of Point Blank Creative states, “Ontarians overwhelmingly support publicly funded education, yet many are voting against their own values due to economic anxieties and distracting political rhetoric. Ford High cuts through that noise by making the stakes: personal, immediate, and impossible to ignore.”

The Ford High campaign premiere kicked off with a press conference at the Hot Docs Cinema. There were several speakers at the event. Karen Littlewood, President of OSSTF /FEESO spoke about the nature of the cutbacks in public education across Ontario. Natasha Wilson, CEO of Point Blank Creative, and Solange Scott, President of

The Toronto Area Professional Student Services Personnel also drew attention to what is happening in public education, and the implications and consequences of this.

There was the premiere screening of Ford High campaign which will receive financial support from Ontario-based content creators. The film featured several high-school television and film stars such as: Stacie Mistyzyn (Degrassi High and The Next Generation), Mischa Barton (The OC) and Daniel Franzese (Mean Girls).

There was a premiere panel featuring five panelists including Frank Domenic (Content Creator & Educator), Sophia Smith (Film Director Productions), Nicola Allison (Peel Regional High School Teacher) and Riya Bhatia (Student Activist).

The promotional material for Ford High states, “Classes are so big that there aren’t enough chairs for every student. Teachers have to divide their attention, leading to less one-on-one time.” It describes some of the consequences of the cutback to public education. “Teachers are suffering day-to-day on the job. Burnout is rampant. Many new teachers and education workers quit within the first few years.”

“When we erode publicly funded schools, we leave children behind. Children lose critical skills and the freedom to learn and get ahead. Our communities suffer; these students are our future.”