Seaway News
Ontario’s post-secondary and public education systems are in crisis. Consider the staggering numbers: 10,000 jobs lost and 600 programs axed in Ontario’s college system alone. These aren’t abstract figures; they represent livelihoods for educators and fewer opportunities for students. Colleges like Algonquin are even cutting unique special needs programs that give a boost to students with developmental disabilities. The collapse has been years in the making, set in motion by Premier Doug Ford’s 2019 decision to cut and freeze domestic tuition, even when a blue-ribbon panel recommended raising rates by 3-5% over subsequent years. This, coupled with a growing dependence on international students, left colleges financially fragile.
According to a 2024 report by OCUFA, Ontario provides the lowest total provincial funding per domestic full-time equivalent (FTE) university student in Canada-by a wide margin. In 2022-23, Ontario allocated just $10,246 per student, more than $6,500 below the national average of $16,789.
Meanwhile, at the school board level, the Ford government has taken the unprecedented step of seizing control of four boards in recent weeks, including the Toronto District School Board and the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. Minister Paul Calandra calls it a response to “mismanagement.” But trustees and educators say the real mismanagement is in Queen’s Park, where education funding has failed to keep up with inflation and enrollment growth.
Let’s be clear: Ontario is not spending enough on education. Despite government claims of “record investments,” education funding per student has declined by approximately $1,500 since 2018, when adjusted for inflation, according to a 2024 analysis by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (a figure the Ford government has disputed). While the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association has put the figure at $776 (not counting for inflation). School boards are being forced to cut learning supports, special education staff, and extracurricular programming while being blamed for deficits caused by provincial downloading and tight funding formulas.
The irony? This is all happening under a government that has yet to deliver a balanced budget. Despite Premier Ford’s repeated promises of fiscal responsibility, Ontario’s books remain stubbornly in the red year after year. A conservative-leaning private think tank, the Fraser Institute, notes that the Ford government is planning a C$14.6 billion deficit for the current fiscal year (2025/26), with ongoing red ink despite repeated promises to balance the books. If deficits are the benchmark for provincial intervention, perhaps it’s time the Ford government appoint a supervisor to itself.
Instead of doubling down on centralization and austerity, Ontario should be closing the gap in per-student funding to match national averages. Yet, Ford’s government has stripped trustees (elected officials) of their authority and handed board control to appointees, likely with little to no background in education, and not accountable to constituents at a local level. Ontario’s education system doesn’t need a political takeover-it needs real investment. With a growing population, increased mental health needs, and a rapidly changing workforce, school boards need reasonable funding. The province should boost per-student funding, restore local governance, and ensure that every student-regardless of need, location, or background-has access to a high-quality education. Therefore, the provincial funding formula must cover the fixed cost of running boards; otherwise, we are playing the blame game.
Moreover, northern and rural communities are disproportionately affected by staffing shortages and limited access to certified teachers. Ontario is facing a worsening teacher shortage, not just from a lack of new recruits but from a failure to retain them. Despite plans to add 2,600 new teacher education spots, tens of thousands of certified teachers have not started working or left the classroom due to burnout, poor working conditions, overcrowded classrooms, and rising incidents of violence. A 2025 report by the Council of Ontario Directors of Education sheds light on the issue. Many new teachers report feeling overwhelmed and unsupported, leading to high early-career attrition. Without addressing these root causes, increasing teacher supply alone won’t solve the crisis.
If a school board faces legitimate financial management concerns, the Ontario government should respond with transparency and accountability, not political overreach. The appropriate steps include commissioning an independent audit, supporting corrective action plans, consulting trustees and communities, and addressing root causes like inadequate funding. If further oversight is needed, it should be time-limited, expert-led, and focused strictly on financial issues, without stripping trustees of their broader governance role. Heavy-handed takeovers and partisan appointments undermine trust and democratic accountability.
Education is more than a public service; it’s an economic engine. Cutting programs, laying off staff, and destabilizing school boards undermine the very system that produces the workforce Ontario needs to stay competitive. Colleges and universities train the nurses, skilled tradespeople, entrepreneurs, and innovators of tomorrow. Strong K-12 schools are the foundation for that success. As trade tensions and global uncertainty grow, we need a resilient, well-funded system that can train and empower the next generation. This is no time for austerity. It’s time to invest in the future.
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