Education unions across Ontario are raising alarm bells over the Ford government’s proposed Bill 33, calling it a direct threat to local democracy and the province’s public education system.
The legislation — officially titled the Supporting Children and Students Act — would centralize power within the Ministry of Education, giving the minister broad authority over school boards and potentially diminishing the role of elected trustees. Critics say it’s the latest move by Premier Doug Ford’s government to reduce local decision-making in favour of provincial control.
“Strong schools start with strong local voices,” union leaders said in a joint statement representing more than 3,500 education workers across the Grand Erie region, including CUPE 5100, Grand Erie Designated Early Childhood Educators, and several Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) units. “Bill 33 could permanently remove your community’s voice from public education.”
For more than 200 years, Ontario’s school board trustees have served as publicly elected representatives, directly accountable to families and communities. The unions argue that Bill 33 threatens to eliminate this vital connection — leaving parents without anyone to contact when concerns arise about classroom conditions, funding, or safety.
Union leaders say the legislation distracts from deeper problems, including underfunding, overcrowded classrooms, growing incidents of violence, and a lack of support for students with special needs. They also point to $6.3 billion in cumulative cuts to public education since 2018.
“This government cannot be trusted with the future of Ontario’s students,” the statement continues. “From the Greenbelt scandal to Ontario Place, and now this, the Ford Conservatives are putting political control ahead of public accountability.”
Parents and residents are being encouraged to call or email their local MPPs — including Brantford–Brant MPP Will Bouma and Haldimand–Norfolk MPP Bobbi-Ann Brady — to demand the protection of elected school boards.
Unions warn that without local trustees, communities could lose direct input into how schools are run and who is accountable for key decisions. “This isn’t just about trustees,” the statement concludes. “It’s about who gets to decide what happens in your child’s school.”