In recent years, Ontarians have heard two very different stories about public schools. On the one hand, the provincial government claims to be making historic investments in education, injecting more money than ever into everyday programs, infrastructure, and targeted initiatives. On the other hand, education advocates and researchers point to larger class sizes, deteriorating buildings, rising school violence, and dwindling resources for students who require additional supports due to disability, low socio-economic status, or other circumstances. Over the past year, the Ministry of Education has admitted to some shortcomings in the public education system but has blamed them on school boards and trustees. For anyone concerned with public education in Ontario, it's hard to tell what's really going on.
To separate the wheat from the chaff, facts from political spin, we must look at the numbers. Ontario's public school system serves two million students, employs 227,000 workers, and has a budget of more than $30 billion. In such a large system, it is easy for governments to point fingers, sweep dirt under the rug, or move funding around to disguise cuts. And that's exactly what the Ontario government has done over the past eight years. In the 11 figures below, we present clear cases of funding failing to keep pace with needs and some examples of what that means on the ground. The pattern that emerges is clear: schools and educators are being asked to do more with less, and students are paying the price.
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