Government looks to promote stability in schools
The government of Ontario intends to repeal Bill 115, the Putting Students First Act, effective Jan. 23.
The bill, passed on Sept. 11, 2012, and widely criticized by the province’s elementary and high school teachers, imposed contracts on teachers that cut their sick days and limited their ability to strike.
The passing of the bill sparked outrage among Ontario teachers’ unions, resulted in rotating strikes across the province and saw high school teachers withdrawing from participation in extracurricular activities.
The Liberals promised to repeal the bill Monday afternoon after imposing contracts on more than 125,000 Ontario teachers and education workers, and said the move will promote “stability” in schools.
“The Putting Students First Act is a bipartisan solution to a province-wide issue — ensuring fair collective agreements for teachers and support staff while addressing Ontario’s deficit,” Education Minister Laurel Broten said in a press release. “The act accomplished that goal and is no longer needed. What is needed now is a return to stability in our schools and that includes extracurricular activities for Ontario’s students.”
