Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce speaks during a news conference in Toronto, on Oct. 6, 2019.Cole Burston/The Canadian Press
The Ontario government says it will walk back plans to increase high school class sizes in the province.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce made the announcement at a news conference this afternoon.
Lecce says the government will scale the funded average class sizes back to 25 from the 28 it has been proposing for months.
The issue was one of several causing tension between the government and the union representing high school teachers that’s currently trying to ink a new labour deal.
Lecce says the move is meant to prove the government’s commitment to averting strikes and keeping students in class.
The province’s contracts with all school workers expired at the end of August, and unions representing both elementary and high school teachers have requested conciliation during the tense contract talks.
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