TORONTO – March 30, 2021 — The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) will host a virtual press conference on Thursday, April 1, 2021, to share its concerns about the Ford government’s plan to make virtual (remote) learning permanent. ETFO President Sam Hammond will be joined by presidents of Ontario unions representing education workers, and other education stakeholders, including several parent advocacy groups.
The move to virtual learning was never intended to be permanent. It is clear that, throughout the pandemic, the Conservatives have been working on a virtual learning plan that will divert funds from publicly funded education to TVO/TFO, and outsource responsibility for program delivery and design. This plan will negatively affect students, increase inequities, lower standards in publicly funded education, and put us one step closer to the privatization of public education.
DATE: Thursday, April 1, 2021
TIME: 10:30 a.m. A media availability, via Zoom only, will follow remarks.
WHO: ETFO President Sam Hammond will be joined by:
- Harvey Bischof, President, Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO)
- Angela Brandt, President, Ontario Autism Coalition (OAC)
- Dr. Carol Campbell, Associate Professor, Leadership and Educational Change, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto
- Parker Robinson, President, Ontario Teachers’ Federation (OTF)
- Shameela Shakeel, York Region Parent, Ontario Families for Public Education
- Romana Siddiqui, Peel Region Parent, Ontario Parent Action Network
- Liz Stuart, President, Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA)
- Anne Vinet-Roy, présidente/President, Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO)
- Laura Walton, President, CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU)
ZOOM: Accredited media can register to participate in the press conference here. Please register as soon as possible.
LIVESTREAM: Members of the public can view the press conference here. A recording will be posted to etfo.ca following the event.
For more information or to request an accommodation, please contact Carla Pereira at 416-576-9074 or cpereira@etfo.org.