ELEMENTARY TEACHERS' FEDERATION OF ONTARIO
ETFO applauds education plan in NDP's election platform

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) applauds the education plan put forward on April 25 by the NDP as part of their election platform. If implemented, it would bring long-needed improvements to Ontario's public education system.

The NDP plan outlines a number of commitments that enable educators to better support students, including:

• bringing in lower class sizes by capping Kindergarten classes at 26 and Grades 4 to 8 at 24;
• increasing special education funding to give students the support they need;
• adding more mental health supports/workers;
• ending violence against education workers;
• hiring teachers and education workers to address staff shortages;
• ending hybrid learning models that leave students without direct attention and support;
• addressing the school repair backlog;
• ending EQAO testing and driving improvement in other ways; and
• rolling back damaging funding cuts made by the Ford government.

Ontario students deserve a high-quality, equitable, inclusive public education system. Investment in this world-class system is the key to Ontario's post-pandemic social and economic recovery.

ETFO calls on all political parties to commit to making the permanent investments in public education that Ontario students deserve.