Statement from Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath on World Teachers’ Day

Happy World Teachers’ Day! I’m endlessly grateful to our province’s talented and devoted teachers and education workers for working tirelessly to inspire and educate our students every day. Thank you!

“On World Teachers’ Day, on behalf of Ontario’s Official Opposition and New Democrats across the province, I want to extend my sincere thanks and best wishes to all the teachers and educators who work hard and inspire students, including the generations of teachers who have come before.

There are few jobs in the world that have such a significant impact – and we know that impact is greater because of the tremendous amount of work teachers and educators do both in the classroom, and outside the classroom. The extra hours lesson planning, marking, coaching, mentoring and more do not go unnoticed – and neither do the passion and dedication of Ontario’s teachers and educators.

Unfortunately, in Ontario today, educators are often asked to do even more with even less. Everyone in the school community can feel the real impacts of cut and frozen school budgets. Larger class sizes, fewer resources in the classroom and schools in need of repair are challenges that teachers, educators and students and their families shouldn’t have to face.

It really doesn’t have to be this way. By listening to and respecting the frontlines of our education system, and making a real commitment to invest in schools and students instead of cutting, we could do so much better for children, communities and our province.

New Democrats see the exceptional work that educators do. For all you do and from the bottom of our hearts, thank you.”

Andrea Horwath