Ontario will lose more than 10,000 teaching positions over the next five years under changes by the Ford government that boost class sizes and usher in mandatory online classes, says a new report by the legislature’s independent financial watchdog.Some 994 elementary positions and 9,060 secondary that would have been needed will be gone from the education system, says the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario, which looked at the impact of the changes when compared to 2018-19 and using student ratios from that year — before the bigger classes were announced — and also includes coming enrolment increases.This year alone, there are 2,826 fewer teachers than there would have been under the previous teacher/student ratios, says the report released Thursday at Queen’s Park.“When we analyze any program change, we always look at what we call the baseline,” said Financial Accountability Officer Peter Weltman, speaking to reporters at Queen’s Park. “... Really, what it means is, had there been no change to the education program, to class sizes, because of the significant population growth and enrolment growth that that would entail — if nothing had changed we would need 10,000 more teacher jobs five years out.”The government’s estimate of 3,475 positions is based on “jobs that will be taken out of the system that currently exist. So both numbers are right, but we look at it from a different point of view because we are always comparing the change against the status quo.”A ministry official characterized the 3,475 number as a “net” loss, given some elementary teachers will be hired where enrolment demands. In a statement, Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the FAO report “affirms our plan to ensure students are set up for success for the jobs of the future. We are taking action to ensure every student in Ontario receives a world-class education, with a modernized skills ...
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