The crisis in Ontario's public schools

Ontario's publicly funded education system is under serious strain. Parents, educators, and researchers have documented staffing shortages, rising violence, chronic underfunding, and threats to local democracy. Here's what the evidence shows—with links to primary sources.

National context: Canada lacks coordinated, comparable education data; documents the gaps. tracks how policy and funding affect schools across the country.

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Key takeaways

  • Ontario plans $30.3B in Core Education Funding for 2025–26, with average funding projected at $14,561 per student.
  • The FAO says real per-student operating funding was $14,504 in 2024–25, the lowest level of the past 10 years.
  • Province-wide reporting on 2025–26 board-submitted estimates indicates 44 of 72 boards are in deficit or barely breaking even, and 11 started the year with zero operating reserves.
  • OTF says over 30,000 qualified, certified teachers are not employed in Ontario boards and classrooms, and the Ministry warns the shortage widens beginning in 2027.
  • Violence in schools remains severe: 9 in 10 Catholic teachers report experiencing or witnessing violence or harassment at school, and TDSB violent incidents rose 67% from 2017–18 to 2022–23.
  • School buildings are under strain: $6.5B repair backlog, $12.7B 10-year capital shortfall, and 150,881 students above permanent capacity (FAO).

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How close to the brink

The current crisis shows up in both official funding documents and board budgets. Ontario says Core Education Funding will total $30.3 billion in 2025–26, with projected average funding of $14,561 per student. But the FAO says real per-student provincial operating funding to boards was just $14,504 in 2024–25, the lowest level in the past 10 years.

That pressure is visible across the system. Province-wide reporting on board-submitted 2025–26 estimates indicates 44 of Ontario's 72 boards are in deficit or barely breaking even, and 11 boards entered the year with zero operating reserves. When deficits and cuts are widespread across many boards, accountability belongs at the provincial level: school boards and trustees operate inside funding rules and policy constraints set by the Ministry of Education.

This did not start this year. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives calculates that Ontario has underfunded schools by $6.3 billion cumulatively since 2018. The long-term picture helps explain why boards are burning through reserves and families keep seeing fewer supports even when official totals go up.

Meanwhile, OTF says there are over 30,000 qualified, certified teachers not employed in Ontario school boards and classrooms, even as the Ministry of Education's own internal briefing warns the gap between teachers needed and teachers available will widen beginning in 2027. CODE says all 73 publicly funded boards are affected by the staffing crisis.

The physical condition of schools is also worsening. The Financial Accountability Office estimates a $6.5B repair backlog just to bring schools into a state of good repair, a $12.7B capital funding shortfall over 10 years under the province's plan, and 150,881 students learning above permanent capacity, often supported by 4,893 portables. A building crisis becomes a learning crisis when overcrowding and deferred repairs become normal.

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Staffing and retention

Schools across Ontario are struggling to staff classrooms and support roles. In the 2023–24 school year, more than a quarter of elementary schools and 38% of secondary schools reported experiencing teacher shortages daily or weekly. Nearly half of all schools reported daily shortages of educational assistants.

Ontario's teacher shortage has reached levels not seen in 15 years. Admissions to teacher education programs dropped from over 7,600 in 2011 to around 4,500 in 2021–22. Principals report having to hire “warm bodies, not the best for the job.”

Newer system reports show the pressure has not eased. CODE says all 73 publicly funded boards are affected by the staffing crisis, and the Ontario College of Teachers reports 46% of respondents are considering leaving the profession within 10 years or less, with safety and security among the reasons they cite.

While boards administer hiring, the Ministry controls major upstream factors: funding rules, class-size policy, program and support expectations, and whether schools have the resources to recruit and retain staff.

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What educators are reporting (anonymized composites)

Educators describe a daily scramble for coverage—especially when supply calls go unfilled—plus chronic shortages of EAs and CYWs. Many feel hiring can turn into “whoever is available,” not the best match. Teachers also describe rigid mobility and slow pathways (OT → LTO → permanent), and worry about staying afloat on supply pay while trying to secure stable work.

What to say / what to ask for

  • Ask your MPP to push for funding that allows boards to hire and retain enough qualified staff.
  • Request a public plan with timelines and measurable targets for reducing shortages.
  • Cite People for Education and OCT data when you contact your MPP.

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Special education and supports

Special education supports depend on staffing and service capacity—educational assistants, special education teachers, psychologists and other professionals. When those roles are understaffed, students wait longer and classrooms absorb needs without enough help. People for Education documents gaps in access to supports across Ontario schools.

The staffing picture is part of the support picture. In 2023–24, 42% of elementary schools and 46% of secondary schools reported daily shortages of educational assistants. Families feel those gaps in missed support blocks, delayed interventions, and classrooms carrying more complex needs without enough help.

The Special Education Fund is intended to be used for special education programs, services and equipment, with rules around how boards must use it. But families experience what funding totals can’t show: whether assessments, placements, and interventions are timely and effective.

The OHRC's Right to Read inquiry highlights how systemic gaps can disproportionately harm students with disabilities, and why evidence-based screening and interventions matter. The inquiry notes that in 2018–19, 53% of Grade 3 students with special education needs were not meeting the provincial reading standard.

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What educators are reporting (anonymized composites)

The paperwork is there—IEPs, promised minutes—but the staff to implement them isn't. Kids who are supposed to get one-on-one or small-group support often don't get it. Educators say the level of need keeps rising while resources don't; there aren't enough EAs, shared support is often unsuccessful, and too many students are mainstreamed without the supports they need.

What to say / what to ask for

  • Ask for measurable service standards: timelines for assessments, supports, and interventions.
  • Request transparent public reporting on whether special education funds translate into staffed supports in schools.
  • Use Special Education Fund rules and independent research in your message.

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Safety and violence in schools

Violence against teachers and education workers is a serious and growing problem. OECTA's 2026 province-wide survey of Catholic teachers reports that 9 in 10 experienced or witnessed violence or harassment at school, and teachers reported an average of seven violent incidents per year.

Other surveys show the same broader pattern. In an OSSTF survey, 75% of members said there are more incidents since they started; 60% said severity has worsened. Thirty-one per cent personally experienced physical force; 43% witnessed it. In an ETFO survey, 77% had experienced or witnessed violence; over 40% had physical force used against them. Front-line supports were often “rarely” or “never” available when needed. The Auditor General found TDSB violent incidents increased 67% from 2017/18 to 2022/23.

These surveys also point to who is carrying the heaviest burden. OECTA reports disproportionate exposure among women and equity-deserving teachers, especially in Kindergarten and Grades 1 to 3. Boards and schools can't staff supports that aren't funded. Meaningful safety improvements require Ministry-level decisions: stable funding, smaller classes, mandated supports, and accountability for implementation.

Those concerns are still active, not historical. In late 2025, OSBCU and OSSTF said school violence was escalating and called for urgent investment in frontline workers. In March 2026, a broader coalition of Ontario education unions repeated that student and family support depends on addressing staffing and bargaining issues early.

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What educators are reporting (anonymized composites)

Educators describe being hit, kicked, or scratched with no one to help in the moment—and reporting incidents with little lasting change. Many also describe pressure (formal or informal) to minimize what’s happening, even when safety plans and supports aren’t reliably available. Class sizes and needs are too high while front-line supports are stretched thin.

What to say / what to ask for

  • Ask for mandated supports and stable funding so schools can implement safety plans.
  • Request that the Minister report publicly on violence indicators and accountability for implementation.
  • Use OECTA, OSSTF, and ETFO survey data when you write or meet your MPP.

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Underfunding and system strain

Ontario's official line is that 2025–26 Core Education Funding totals $30.3 billion, with projected average funding of $14,561 per student. That is the nominal announcement. The harder question is what schools can actually buy and staff with that money.

The FAO says real per-student provincial operating funding to school boards was $14,504 in 2024–25, the lowest level in the past 10 years. It projects Ministry spending growth averaging 2.5% from 2024–25 to 2027–28, while 3.2% is needed to maintain 2024–25 service levels.

Other independent analyses point in the same direction. OSSTF says enrolment growth and inflation outpaced funding increases from 2021–22 to 2024–25, leaving a real gap of about $1.3 billion. CCPA estimates inflation-adjusted per-student funding has dropped by about $1,500 since 2018–19.

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What educators are reporting (anonymized composites)

Everything feels stripped down—supplies, supports, PD—and educators describe being expected to do more with less every year. Teachers also describe an “extra layer” of unpaid work (clubs, events, initiatives) and the pressure to say yes; peers often advise setting firm boundaries just to make the workload survivable. Others returning after cuts elsewhere say the salary grid can mean starting low and taking years to catch up.

What to say / what to ask for

  • Ask for education funding that keeps pace with inflation and enrolment growth.
  • Request a clear public plan with timelines and measurable targets for closing the funding gap.
  • Cite OSSTF funding submission and CCPA per-student analysis in your message.

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Class size and classroom conditions

Ontario sets class-size rules in regulation, including Kindergarten and Grades 4–8 average caps. But averages can hide local crowding, split grades, and the day-to-day reality families see in classrooms.

Ontario publishes an elementary class size dataset collected each September under the regulation. Public, comparable data makes it possible to ask better questions: where are classes near caps, and where are supports missing when needs are higher?

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What educators are reporting (anonymized composites)

Split grades and wide ranges of readiness are described as normal. Educators describe triage: time spent on behaviour and safety, constant interruptions, and less time for small-group instruction that closes gaps. When classes grow and supports don’t, teachers describe shifting from “teaching” to “managing the room”—and averages don’t capture that day-to-day reality.

What to say / what to ask for

  • Ask your MPP how class-size policy is being enforced and what happens when local schools exceed targets.
  • Request public reporting that pairs class size with supports (EAs, CYWs, special education staffing).

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School buildings, repairs, and portables

The FAO estimates that $6.5B is needed just to clear the current repair backlog, and that under the province’s 10‑year plan there is a $12.7Bshortfall for school buildings (repairs + new space).

This matters to families because deferred repairs compound: ventilation, washrooms, aging classrooms and “temporary” portables become the norm. Capital policy and programs are set provincially.

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What to say / what to ask for

  • Ask for a funded plan to clear the repair backlog with timelines and public reporting.
  • Request transparency: how many portables are in use locally, and what’s the plan to reduce reliance on them?

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Governance and public system integrity

Democratic oversight is under pressure. Recent legislation has expanded the minister's powers over school boards. Parents, trustees, and advocacy groups are concerned about the erosion of local voice and the risk of privatization. Standing up for elected school boards is part of defending the public system.

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What to say / what to ask for

  • Ask your MPP to stand up for elected school boards and local democratic oversight.
  • Support campaigns that defend the public system and oppose further centralization.

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Child care and early years

Ontario’s CWELCC commitments cover affordability, space creation targets, and workforce objectives. Provincial reporting for 2025 shows 5,556 child care sites and 328,610 spaces for children aged 0–5 enrolled in CWELCC, both about 92% of the eligible total.

But access and stability remain fragile. The Auditor General estimates Ontario could face a $1.95B funding shortfall in 2026–27, with 80,500 CWELCC spaces unutilized and up to 10,000 additional RECEs needed by the end of 2026. The FAO’s 2025 review also highlights how costs and space targets drive funding needs if public funding does not keep pace with real cost drivers.

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What to say / what to ask for

  • Ask for transparent reporting on CWELCC space targets, workforce supports, and waitlist pressures.
  • Request a plan for workforce retention (wages, benefits, staffing) so affordability doesn’t come at the cost of quality.

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