As school year comes to an end, London teachers reflect on challenges facing education

London's public school teacher unions are hoping for more support from the Ford government as the school year comes to a close and contracts with the province set to be negotiated.

Unions say chronic underfunding has left teachers — and the school system as a whole — in a dire position that could be helped by increasing school board budgets.

"They keep saying there's more money for education ... but if you're not keeping pace with inflation and enrollment growth, then it's fewer dollars per student," said John Bernans, local branch president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF).

According to Bernans, the OSSTF estimates the Ford government has cut roughly $6 billion in education funding since it came to power in 2018.

The effects of those cuts manifest in a number of ways, including violence in schools, Bernans said.

"There are still a lot of concerns around violence and poor behavior in classrooms around the province. It remains a problem, and there continues to be a lack of professional supports for students," Bernans said.

Michael Thomas, president of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario's (ETFO) Thames Valley branch, said lack of funding results in more than violence.

"We have a lot of students that are struggling within the system. A lot of the struggles are probably multiplied because of the the gaps in healthcare spending as well, but school boards are struggling to actually finance support for students that are struggling with special education concerns and needs," Thomas said.

On top of calls for better funding during the next budget process, teachers unions are hoping for better outcomes when it comes to their contracts as well, Thomas said.

The province’s five main education unions served the government with a notice to bargain in early June, saying they want the same things: smaller class sizes, increased support for special education and a wage hike.

Their contracts expire in August and the minister of Education Paul Calandra has said he’s hopeful that deals can be struck by Labour Day.

Thomas said while many teachers are reflecting on this school year with positivity in mind, many of the challenges they faced will be waiting for them when they return in the fall if bargaining doesn't go well over the summer.

Heading into the end of the school year, Thomas said there are also many unknowns surrounding the future role of trustees, who have been sidelined from the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) since April 2025.

"The municipal elections are going to be coming up in October, so I think the question on everyone's mind is what's that actually going to look like," Thomas said.

Ontario’s education minister announced in November that boards would be required to open student and family support offices for parents to escalate issues beyond the school.

But Thomas called trustees "the link between what happens at the school level and the parent level."

"Without the trustees, it's challenging for parents to [not] have that avenue to advocate for the supports that their students need," Thomas said.