TORONTO-November 18, 2021—“Today’s announcement by the government of Ontario on a return to a normal secondary school model for all students in the second semester is excellent and welcome news”, said Patrick Daly, President of the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association. “Combined with the enhanced health and safety measures for our Catholic schools, we believe this return to in-person learning will build on the good work to date and contribute to student and staff well-being. Particularly following the Christmas break, the additional measures will provide stability and support Catholic school boards’ priority of student and staff health and safety”, he said.

“OCSTA also welcomes and appreciates the release of the second installment of the $1.6 billion dollars in additional funding that will greatly assist our Catholic school board planning and supports for our students. OCSTA has advocated for additional funding for Catholic boards in an effort to address various challenges posed by the pandemic—mental health, learning loss and supports for students with disabilities.”

“OCSTA will continue to consult with our member boards and looks forward to continuing to work with the Provincial government in the best interest of the students in Catholic schools throughout Ontario”.

The Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association is the provincial voice for publicly funded Catholic education. Founded in 1930, OCSTA represents the interests of Catholic school boards that collectively educate approximately 600,000 students in Ontario, from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12.

For more information please contact:
Patrick Daly, President, pdaly@ocsta.on.ca / 905-525-2930 or 905-818-6303