‘Virtually no’ support for larger class sizes, according to reports the Ford government has refused to release

The Ontario government’s massive consultations on education showed “virtually no support” for larger class sizes, according to its own internal reports, which it has repeatedly refused to release publicly.

From school boards to students, from Black educators to directors of education, concerns about bigger high school classes and the impact on teens were raised during two rounds of public consultations last year by the province, information that was revealed for the first time on Tuesday at an Ontario Labour Relations Board hearing.

And among the more than 7,000 additional submissions from the public, about 70 per cent were opposed to larger classes — but at the same time, none of them said they supported such a move even if they did support the government saving money, said Tom Doyle, chief negotiator for the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA).