The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) says Ontario’s school boards are in severe crisis and it wants something done about it.
CUPE said a recent survey of education workers found that a severe crisis in underfunding has led to extreme understaffing, students needs not being addressed, and increased violence in the Lambton-Kent District (LKDSB) and the St. Clair Catholic District (SCCDSB) school boards.
The survey discovered this severe underfunding leaves students and workers at risk because there isn't enough staff in schools, resulting in students having their learning environments disrupted on a regular basis and creating an environment that is not conducive to having the "highest quality" of education.
According to CUPE, the Lambton-Kent District School Board has faced a provincial cut of at least $24.4 million to real per-pupil funding and the St. Clair Catholic District School Board has faced a real per-pupil cut of over $10 million.
The union alleged the "extreme underfunding" has caused widespread violence, burnout, and a lack of supports for students in Chatham-area and Sarnia-area schools.
Many education workers at the two local school boards said they frequently face violent incidents at their workplace, with almost 60 per cent of Educational Assistants and Child and Youth Workers experiencing a violent incident every day, according to CUPE.
CUPE is calling on the Ford government to immediately increase school board funding, adequately staff school boards so that education workers can do their jobs with "dignity and respect", and address the "crisis of violence" across Ontario school boards.
CUPE 1238 represents over 900 education workers across the the Lambton-Kent District School Board and CUPE 4168 represents over 400 educational workers across the St. Clair Catholic District School Board.
"We know that understaffing affects the services we provide to students, staff and the community. We take pride in the work we deliver, but when we are stretched so thin, we feel overwhelmed and defeated. We are continually covering other workers’ duties and feel that children and staff are substantially affected. We do our best, but the lack of staffing greatly impacts our mental and physical health. If the school board was appropriately staffed, the workplace would be healthier, safer and better for all within the LKDSB," said CUPE 1238 President Michele LaLonge-Davey.
CUPE noted school offices are overburdened by increasing demands, school cleaning is suffering, and repairs are delayed or are not done at all.
"Our members at SCCDSB are deeply committed to their work and the success of our schools. Every day, they go above and beyond to support students and maintain a safe and welcoming environment for learning. Unfortunately, over the last few years, it has become increasingly difficult to do so. They're frustrated. They're overworked. They're burned out. Every year our members are given less and less support but are expected to do more and more. With adequate funding, we can provide them with the tools, time, and support our education workers and our students deserve. The government's failure to properly fund and support schools is unacceptable. We need more funding and we need it now. Investing in our team is an investment in the success of our students and the future of our schools. Together, we can ensure that our education system continues to thrive," said CUPE 4168 President Dave Geroux.
CUPE noted 52 per cent of members said they do unpaid work for the school board, effectively subsidizing schools to make up for the lack of funding. The union said the amount of unpaid work reported is the equivalent of 30 Full-Time jobs.
CUPE also reported 91 per cent of Educational Assistants or Child and Youth Workers said they work with students who need one-on-one support that are not provided to them.
Over two thirds (77 per cent) of all respondents said they experience violent or disruptive incidents in their work area and 59 per cent reported it happens every day.
Outgoing Director of Education for St. Clair Catholic District School Board Scott Johnson previously told CK News Today that every school board must report violent incidents to the Ministry of Education, and it submitted a total of eight violent incident reports in 2023 for the full school year out of the 9,000 students at the board.
The Lambton-Kent District School Board said it has developed a Committee to Address Workplace Violence to address incidents of student aggression and violence. The committee identifies gaps in training, considers any impact of mental health issues, identifies measures to reduce risks for injury and supports for injured workers.
"The LKDSB is committed to the ongoing safety and support of all staff and students, and we have worked collaboratively with CUPE to address issues related to workplace violence," said the public school board in a statement. "Our priority continues to be fostering an environment that allows all students to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally, while also supporting our education workers in their vital roles."
The violence statistics are not released publicly. However, the Ministry of Education said it is investing in schools and students.
“With violence rising in communities across Canada, our government continues to take action to keep students and staff safe. We are investing nearly $700 million more in additional funding this school year (2024), including $24 million on enhancing school safety and the hiring of nearly 2,000 more front-line staff," the ministry wrote in a statement to CK News Today. "Since coming into government, we have enhanced classroom learning by hiring 7,500 net new staff, including 3,500 educational assistants. To better support Ontario students with mental health resources, our government is investing $114 million, which represents a 555 per cent increase from 2018 under the previous Liberal government."
The ministry also noted it has introduced new mental health modules developed with School Mental Health Ontario along with the support of SickKids that provide a tool-kit of practical knowledge to manage stress and keep kids safe and focused in school and beyond.
"Our government will work collaboratively with parents, education staff, law enforcement, and community to keep schools safe from rising violence," the ministry added.
The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) also conducted a member survey in 2023 that showed violence was pervasive in schools. Chronic underfunding of public education also got the blame for the rise in violence.
It's important to note that Premier Doug Ford intends on calling a snap provincial election this week.