MEDIA AVAILABILITY: OECTA MARKS BACK TO SCHOOL WITH UNION STATION TAKEOVER

Toronto, Sept. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As families across Ontario head back to school with questions about classroom resources, sweeping new education policies, and the government’s decision to stall talks at the bargaining table, Ontario’s Catholic teachers are taking over Union Station to put the future of publicly funded education at the centre of the conversation.

Beginning September 2, the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) is transforming Canada’s busiest transit hub with our new Know More advertising campaign, highlighting how years of government underfunding have affected students, families, and classrooms.

The campaign launches at a pivotal moment for publicly funded education in Ontario. Teachers and students are returning to classrooms as government consolidation schemes stall central bargaining and a suite of new provincial policies takes effect, including changes to Grade 9 EQAO testing, mandatory final evaluations, and the grading of attendance and participation. At the same time, the Ford government is launching its $750 classroom supplies program, which falls far short of addressing the estimated $6.5-billion funding gap that Ontario schools have accumulated since 2018. This campaign is only necessary because we have a government that does not value publicly funded education, and as a result, Ontario students, families, and the future of this province.

WHEN: Wednesday, September 2, 2026
WHERE: Union Station, Toronto
AVAILABLE: OECTA President René Jansen in de Wal; Ontario parent; local student trustee (recent graduate)
VISUALS: B-roll of Union Station advertising, high-resolution campaign photography, and photos of interviewees
INTERVIEWS: Interviews can be arranged anytime in studio or by phone. Broadcast-quality B-roll and high-resolution photos of the Union Station takeover are also available for media use, by request.

Among the issues available for discussion:

• Bargaining and potential labour action: Where negotiations currently stand, why bargaining has stalled, the outstanding scope issues being referred to the Ontario Labour Relations Board, and what comes next.
• The $750 classroom supply program: The September 1 launch of the Staples portal, whether materials will reach classrooms in time, what teachers can actually purchase, and why OECTA says the program does not compensate for years of underfunding.
• New policies taking effect this school year: The Grade 9 EQAO math assessment counting for 20 per cent of a student’s final grade, mandatory final evaluations, attendance and participation grading, and mandated Ministry classroom resources.
• The reality inside Ontario schools: Class sizes and complexity, special education, mental health services, staffing, aging facilities, classroom supplies and dwindling programs.
• What families and students are experiencing: What these funding and policy decisions mean in practice for students heading back to class and the parents trying to support them.

To arrange an interview, request B-roll/photos, or coordinate coverage at Union Station, contact:

Eden Debebe
Communications Specialist, Government Relations and Public Affairs, OECTA
[email protected]
416-520-9487

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The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association represents 45,000 Catholic teachers across Ontario and advocates for a strong, publicly funded education system that gives every student the opportunity and support they need to succeed.

Eden Debebe
Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association
416-925-2493 x 524
[email protected]

Source: Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association

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