"Ontario's education spending continues to drop"
The information on this Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) page indicates that the amount of money spent by Ontario on education (per-pupil) is higher than in all Canadian provinces except Quebec, British Columbia and Manitoba, at $5,224 (CDN) per pupil. This, actually, is false. Ontario spends $14.4 billion a year on primary and secondary education, and more per-pupil than any other province.
For more information, please read TRI's Reality Check: Ontario's Harris Government.
Operating grants from the government have declined under the Tories, from $4.4 billion in 1995 to $3.97 billion in 1997, but almost all of the cut has been offset by rising property taxes imposed by school boards. The combined amount of money spent in 1997 on education by the boards and the province is $14.4 billion, the highest level in Ontario's history. How then, can the OSSTF claim that "Ontario's education spending continues to drop"?
The comparison between expenditure on education in Ontario and American states is interesting - America can spend more on education because of its economic status - and, ultimately, because of the efforts of conservative Republicans in Congress. With a balanced budget, and consistently strong economic growth, America can afford to spend more on education. Canada, and especially Ontario after Rae's five years in office, cannot afford to increase spending.
To the OSSTF: 45% of those who work in Ontario's education system do not teach. The concept of classroom-based budgeting introduced in the Common Sense Revolution demonstrates that if money is spent more efficiently, a smaller budget can produce greater results.
"Teachers have never negotiated larger class sizes. Those were inflicted by years of education cutbacks, including $533 million slashed (and 6,000 teachers dumped) by Mike Harris."
Teacher unions have indeed negotiated increases in class sizes. Interestingly, during the illegal strike in 1997, teachers' unions distributed literature which seemed to intimate the following:
1. Class sizes have increased because of cuts to education funding by the Harris government.
Opponents charge that the government has created a crisis in our education system. They claim that "cuts hurt Ontario's children," a statement which appeared on Teachers' picket signs. FACT: Operating grants from the government have declined under the Tories, from $4.4 billion in 1995 to $3.97 billion in 1997, but almost all of the cut has been offset by rising property taxes imposed by school boards. The combined amount of money spent in 1997 on education by the boards and the province is $14.4 billion, the highest level in Ontario's history.
Education funding has not been "cut," considering the true meaning of the word.
2. Class sizes have decreased because of teacher negotiations.
In 1997, the Harris government announced that it would cut approximately $400 million in provincial funding for the education system. The Minister of Education at that time, John Snobelen, said that the school boards would cut waste and duplication to compensate for the reduction in funding. Instead, the boards responded by laying off teachers (jacking up the pupil-teacher ratio) and raising education property taxes (offsetting the impact of the provincial income-tax cut). Harris and the rest of his cabinet, at that point, decided to centralize virtually all power in the education system in the provincial cabinet.
Clearly, these two claims cannot both be correct. In fact, neither is correct. They are pathetic attempts to hide the fact that union negotiations have resulted in greater benefits and wages for teachers and "edu-crats" (bureaucrats in the education system) and greater class sizes.
"Liz Sandals, executive vice-president of the Ontario Public School Boards' Association , has suggested that the $667 million cut may be just the first installment of a series of cuts. She expects cuts to all sorts of school programs and the closing '. . . of a lot of schools. . .'."
Really, well since Liz Sandals, executive vice-president of the OPSBA has suggested this, it must be true! Wrong.
I challenge Liz Sandals to name "a lot of schools" that have closed since Harris was elected. I know of not a single closing. Perhaps, due to old age, or unsafe conditions, an incredibly small number of schools have been closed, which the OSSTF has exaggerated to ridiculous levels. Apparently, as the "crisis in education" continues, schools will begin closing faster than the members of the OSSTF can count.
In any case, the allocation of funds in the system is the responsibility of the boards, not the government.
"Johnson rejected outright the teachers' proposal for a 20-minute extension to the school day, saying the government-appointed Education Improvement Commission had already ruled ``that is not the right way to go. 'What their proposal would amount to actually is additional preparation time for the teachers of about four or five minutes, about an extra four or five minutes on to lunch period and about four minutes on to four class periods,' he said 'It would also involve students going home later in the day.' He failed to explain how he wanted to ensure that Ontario students had more time in the classroom without lengthening the day in some way."
This last allegation is false. Johnson has indicated that in order to ensure Ontario students have more time in the classroom, teacher preparation time will be cut, and the school year will be lengthened by two weeks.
"The educational impact of Bill 160"
"they can now cut a second $1 billion from schools"
They can cut as much as they want. This has always been the case. However, it has never been the intention of Harris or Johnson cut funding from schools and classrooms. The fact that this occurred because school board bureaucracies were placed above students by board bureaucrats is precisely the reason why Bill 160 was introduced.
"anything not considered essential by the province could be cut; eg. junior kindergarten, adult education"
Again, anything not considered essential could be cut. In some cases, though, it should be noted, things that are not essential should be cut.
"small classes and special programs may be cancelled; sizes may be increased at will"
This has, again, always been the case. Small classes and special programs could be cancelled. But perhaps the sole reason for this centralization of control in the education system is the fact that class sizes could be and were increased at will, but by the boards and the teachers' unions, not the government. The government's intention is to decrease class sizes, not increase them. We all know that if OSSTF's allegations were true, we would be hearing "government increases class sizes," not "sizes may be increased."
Class size should no longer be a bargaining chip between school boards and the unions.
"the Minister could flip flop again on school year or impose unwanted year-round schooling"
The Minister could flip flop on the school year, but he will not. The Minister could impose unwanted year-round schooling, but he has already indicated that he will not. These OSSTF allegations could have some substance to them, but they do not.
"teachers will have to teach about 30 more students per day"
This is absolutely false. The OSSTF cannot predict the effects of Bill 160 accurately, because they do not know exactly how the Harris government will use its new power. No one does, but it is only logical to assume that the government will keep its promises on this matter. It has promised to decrease class sizes, and it will do just that by cutting bloated administrative bureaucracies in the school boards, and redirecting the funds to the classrooms of the province.
"up to 10,000 teachers laid off"
Sure, every single teacher in the province might be laid off. But is it going to happen? No.
"students will not have enough time to study for exams; unfair to weaker students"
The amount of time to study for exams is determined by the exam schedule. At present, it is absolutely possible for school to end on Tuesday, and exams start on Wednesday. It is therefore possible for any student to finish school on Tuesday, and have two exams on Wednesday, and another two on Thursday. Nothing that the government will do could possibly make this situation any worse for weaker students.
"secondary teachers may be used as unpaid supply teachers; department heads may have no time to assist others or develop curriculum"
Anything "may" happen, but these are only rumours that OSSTF uses to ensure solidarity within the union and attempt to sway public opinion. There are no facts to support their arguments.
"unqualified teachers will not be subject to College of Teachers' standards or discipline and are not trained in student needs"
Experienced professionals may teach without having been subjected to College of Teachers' standards, this is true. But they have taught in community colleges for many years, and this strategy has been very successful and is also very popular (though not with the College of Teachers).
"The Harris Kremlin -- Inside Ontario's revolutionary politburo"
Those who compare Mike Harris, the Conservative Premier of Ontario to Stalin, or compare the success of his "Common Sense Revolution" and election in 1995 to the rise of fascism in Germany, are only demonstrating for us their profound ignorance and stupidity. Perhaps their outlook on this matter would be different if they had been one of those that had suffered in Nazi Germany or Stalinist Russia. One fact remains, one that they will not accept for their own reasons: Harris and the provincial Progressive Conservative Party wrote a very detailed platform which outlined their promises to Ontarians. They would cut income-taxes by 30%, balance Ontario's budget, and reform Ontario's education system, among other things. They received great support in the 1995 election from an electorate that was tired of Ontario's economic dislocation courtesy of Bob Rae's NDP government. And they have proceeded to do something uncharacteristic of the contemporary politician in Canada - keep their promises.
Bill 160 Myths and Realities (Provided by the Ontario Ministry of Education.)
TRI: How the OSSTF lies to Ontarians / smithda@echo-on.net / Last Revised January 1998