Ontario's Teachers' Unions Call Out Ford For 'Frustrating' New Health Measures

Following Monday's announcement about the new public health measures, some of Ontario's teachers' unions penned letters to Premier Doug Ford calling for safety measures that would ensure a "safe, sustainable return to in-person learning."

On January 3, Ontario extended school closures until January 17. Schools were previously set to reopen for in-person learning on January 5.

“Putting these targeted and time-limited measures in place will give us more opportunity to deliver vaccines to all Ontarians and ensure everyone has maximum protection against this virus," Ford said in the January 3 announcement.

During this period of time, students at all schools across Ontario will make the switch to remote learning.

Following the news of the updated restrictions, the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) published a letter renewing its calls for safety measures that can actually bring about in-person learning to the province's students.

"This shift to remote learning is frustrating because we know it could have been avoided had the province funded and implemented safety measures at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and not half-measures," ETFO President Karen Brown said in the January 3 letter.

"We recognize the hardships that come with another round of remote learning. To ensure this is the last time we need this emergency measure, we will continue to call on the Ford government to invest in adequate infection prevention measures."

The ETFO laid out the safety measures that they believe should be taken in order to safely bring back in-person learning to students, which include making N95s available to all education workers, vaccine requirements for eligible staff and those attending the schools, rapid antigen tests for staff and students, HEPA filters installed in classrooms and schools, and the expansion of the paid sick leave program.

"The province must [also] continue to monitor and report COVID-19 cases/outbreaks in schools and ensure they are communicated to close contacts. The suspension of this practice has resulted in grave concern and hesitancy about a return to in-person learning, especially because additional infection prevention and control measures, like N95 masks, are not yet in place," the ETFO wrote, adding that Ontario should put a plan in place for staff absenteeism.

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Foundation and the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association also wrote letters echoing the ETFO, with the OECTA noting that the government failed the province's students, education workers and parents with its "last-minute decision making."

Last week, over 500 Ontario doctors called on the Ford government and to not close schools due to the extensive "harm" these closures have on children.

This article's right-hand cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.