There’s a lot of mixed feelings about the upcoming education strike. Tomorrow all secondary schools in the Limestone District School Board will be closed to students in Grades 9 to 12. Both elementary and secondary students within the french boards CECCE and CEPEO locally are not to attend school, either. The Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) has been in talks with the province for over eight months trying to find common ground on increased class sizes, mandatory e-learning and cuts to services for vulnerable students. Local residents have many different opinions about the upcoming education strike.
Some parents are frustrated with the strike action while others see the benefits of what the teachers union is fighting for. Last week the Minister of Education in Ontario issued a statement saying strikes by unions hurt kids and investments should go to support student success, not towards enhanced compensation. The OSSTF represents secondary school teachers, occasional teachers, professional student services personnel, and community education instructors.
