Our Students, Our Future

TORONTO, Feb. 16, 2012 /CNW/ - Ontario Teachers' Federation President Francine LeBlanc-Lebel is confident that the McGuinty Government will protect Ontario's students when it comes to responding to the Drummond Report.

"The McGuinty Government has been very supportive of the education system in the Province, and that support has been paying dividends,"  LeBlanc-Lebel said.  "Investing in education is critical to the long-term success of Ontario.  The report, in fact, states that,  'A strong education system is critical to Ontario's prosperity and global competitiveness.' "

The report recommends that the education sector continue the focus on three key goals: Improving student achievement, closing gaps in such achievement and increasing confidence in the publicly funded education system.  "We strongly agree with this continued focus," said LeBlanc-Lebel. "However, many recommendations in the report, if implemented, would simply roll back successes that have been achieved to date, rather than moving education forward in a positive direction."

OTF will be reviewing the report in more detail and expects the Government to engage all stakeholders in further discussions.  "Ontario students represent our future, and we trust the Government will be looking for ways to enhance the delivery of education in the Province."

The Ontario Teachers' Federation is the advocate for the teaching profession in Ontario and for its 160,000 teachers.  OTF members are full-time, part-time and occasional teachers in all the publicly funded  schools in the province—elementary, secondary, public, Catholic and francophone.

Rhonda Kimberley-Young
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