Teaching your children well: Lessons learned in Ontario’s education system

Recently, 200,000 educators and support staff from all four teachers’ unions across Ontario engaged in a joint one-day strike in opposition to provincial government cuts and austerity measures.

A big part of the reason for student success in Ontario is having equity embedded in the system. Small classes help to reduce bullying and improve fairness in learning opportunities. A strong and inclusive education system makes our kids stronger and better prepared for work, further education and, most importantly, building strong families and communities.

In the third-year class I teach on the Politics of Education in Canada, my students and I talked about the differences between publicly funded and market-based education systems. Economically, investing in public education has a positive impact on prosperity, even when taxation levels are relatively high. Ethically, publicly funded schools that ensure all kids, no matter what their life circumstances are, have the opportunity to attend school and pursue a satisfying career is important.