Eastern Ontario’s publicly funded schools are facing a severe staffing and safety crisis, according to a new survey released by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU). The findings, shared at a press conference recently in Cornwall, detail widespread underfunding, daily incidents of violence, and burnout among education workers.
The survey draws on the experiences of over 12,000 education workers province-wide, including Educational Assistants (EAs), Early Childhood Educators, custodians, clerical staff, and others across all four local school boards. Workers say chronic understaffing and a lack of qualified replacements are pushing schools to the brink.
Shelley Edwards, an educational assistant with the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario, shared her personal story of being injured by a student at work. “When I first started 25 years ago, there was never a fear of being hurt,” said Edwards. “Now, it’s about crowd control. There’s not enough funding or staff to give these kids the programs they need, and people are getting hurt — staff and students.”
CUPE 5678 President Erin Hurford said the staffing shortage is leaving students unsupported and workers overwhelmed. “We’re seeing EAs alone with three to four high-needs students. When staff are off, they’re not replaced. And increasingly, boards are hiring unqualified emergency workers because they can’t find trained professionals. It’s not safe for anyone,” she said.
Joe Tigani, President of OSBCU, called the situation “a full-blown crisis” caused by years of underinvestment. “Since taking office, the Ford government has slashed more than $10 billion from public education. In Eastern Ontario alone, schools are seeing a $75 million cut in real per-pupil funding this year,” said Tigani. “Our members are burned out, and our students are being shortchanged. We need a major funding surge, and we need it now.”
In response, Ontario’s Minister of Education Paul Calandra defended the government’s record, stating: “Since 2018, our government has been increasing investment in publicly funded schools to the highest levels in Ontario’s history… It is the responsibility of school boards to ensure the increased funding provided by the province is used to best address local needs.”
While the province points to over $1.1 billion in projected funding increases for Eastern Ontario boards in 2024-25, education workers say the money has not resulted in safer or better-staffed classrooms. Though Ontario’s core education funding has risen nominally to $29.1 billion, per-student funding has declined in real terms due to inflation and enrollment growth. Students now receive roughly $1,500 less annually than in 2018, and the Financial Accountability Office projects a $6 billion funding shortfall by 2027-28.
“We are not asking for luxuries,” said Hurford. “We are asking for safe, properly staffed schools, for our students and for ourselves.”
