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OSSTF: New early years plan strengthens Ontario education

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Author: 
Ontario Secondary School Teacher’s Federation (OSSTF)
Format: 
Press release
Publication Date: 
15 Jun 2009
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Press release:

OSSTF/FEESO applauds the McGuinty government and the work of Dr. Charles Pascal for providing Ontario with a well-researched and revolutionary model for early learning in Ontario. We strongly support school boards offering a full day early-learning program staffed by qualified teachers and early childhood educators and pledge our commitment and cooperation to ensuring the implementation of this plan.

OSSTF/FEESO is uniquely positioned to support this model for early learning as we have, since 1990, represented a wide variety of educational workers. With our 20 years of experience of representing early childhood educators and our long standing commitment to early education, we clearly support this staffing model of a qualified early learning team.

We believe an early learning team, consisting of both qualified teachers and early childhood educators who are board employees, using established curriculum and a consistent approach to learning will provide even more opportunities for success. The model will also provide four- and five-year-olds with access to existing board resources and early intervention supports.

"Every parent and guardian wants their child to experience success and this blended model guarantees a rich and promising start for all students," says Ken Coran, President of OSSTF/FEESO. "This plan marks a new beginning. It will be challenging, but with full cooperation this early learning model will drive success."

OSSTF/FEESO believes that, when fully implemented, this new model will make Ontario a leader in both the country and the world in early education. We commend both Premier Dalton McGuinty and Dr. Charles Pascal for their visionary commitment to early learning.

OSSTF/FEESO, founded in 1919, has 60,000 members across Ontario. They include public high school teachers, occasional teachers, educational assistants, continuing education teachers and instructors, psychologists, secretaries, speech-language pathologists, social workers, plant support personnel, attendance counsellors, and many others in education.

- reprinted from Marketwire