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Education workers across Brant, Haldimand, and Norfolk gathered last week to raise concerns about what they describe as chronic underfunding and a growing lack of student supports in Ontario’s public education system.
In a statement, education unions say students are not receiving critical services such as psychoeducational assessments, speech and language programs, mental health supports, autism therapies, and access to educational assistants.
Workers say they are increasingly being asked to compensate for these gaps, leading to burnout, emotional distress, and unsafe classroom conditions.
Unions claim the Ford government has cut approximately $6.3 billion from public education since 2018, resulting in larger class sizes, fewer special education resources, and rising incidents of workplace violence.
They argue these conditions are directly tied to unmet student needs and insufficient staffing and funding.
The statement also criticizes the recent passage of Bill 33, saying it centralizes power with the Minister of Education and weakens the role of democratically elected school board trustees.
Education workers say the move undermines local accountability and leaves parents without representation or a clear avenue to address concerns.
A rally was held in Brantford on January 28, where speakers included local parents and representatives from multiple education unions in the region.
Organizers are encouraging residents to contact their local MPPs and advocate for increased education funding and the protection of local school governance.