Elementary teachers union lifts ban on extracurricular activities
Posted March 27, 2013 5:10 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Elementary teachers union lifts ban on extracurricular activities
TORONTO – The union representing Ontario public elementary teachers has joined the high school teachers union in lifting a ban on voluntary or extracurricular activities.
Sam Hammond, the president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, said in a statement late Tuesday night that the ban is being lifted in light of progress made in talks with the government.
“As you know, we have been in discussions with the government since February. These talks will continue. We are now confident that the government has demonstrated a commitment to dealing with concrete items of importance to our members,” Hammond said in the message.
“In light of the progress made during these discussions and a commitment that talks to address outstanding issues will continue, ETFO is suspending its advice to members regarding voluntary/extracurricular activities.”
In response, Premier Kathleen Wynne released a statement praising the decision.
“I’m happy to learn that the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario has suspended their advice to members regarding voluntary extracurricular activities,” Wynne’s statement read.
“I hope that elementary school students, teachers and support staff across the province will once again enjoy the activities and programs that mean so much to them.”
The extracurricular activities are of course, voluntary, so it remains to be seen how quickly they return.
Teachers withdrew from extracurricular activities to protest legislation that was used to force contracts on them in January and also banned them from striking.
The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation lifted its ban on extracurricular activities about a month ago, but noted the decision would be left to individual teachers.
Most of the province’s public school teachers stopped participating in non-classroom-related activities in protest of Bill 115, a controversial law that imposed two-year contracts on more than 126,000 public educators.
