The Peel District School Board has issued layoff notices to more than 300 teachers for next September in both the elementary and secondary panels because of declining enrolment.

A teacher who spoke to INsauga.com last night said they were notified that they were “surplus” and will have to wait until the beginning of the new school year to learn if they will be recalled to the classroom.

Board information indicates it employs 11,000 full-time teachers and about 1,500 occasional or supply teachers. Student enrollment is approximately 145,000, which is down almost 10,000 in the past eight years.

Just last week, Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra wrestled control of the board away from elected trustees and appointed a supervisor to oversee operations of the Peel’s public school system, which is still one of the largest in the country.

At the time, Calandra said he did so in response to “serious concerns” about infighting and long-term financial unsustainability that risk disrupting learning and undermining student outcomes. Initially, the Ontario government stepped in to prevent the board from immediately laying off 60 teachers.

“This has been crazy,” said the teacher who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals. “On one hand, the ministry (of Education) was concerned about the removal of teachers, and once the supervisor comes in, they go even further. I just hope to get my job back. ”

Declaring a surplus of teachers is not unusual as a current school year comes to an end, as many are recalled in the fall when class sizes are settled. But this year the numbers are higher than usual, which has alarmed both the affected teachers and their unions.

The teacher, who called herself an active union member, said there is still a lot of confusion about what is happening and expressed concern that, unlike in the past, many of the teachers are not likely to be recalled because student enrollment numbers continue to decline.

School board and government officials could not be reached for comment.

The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board is also under the control of a provincially appointed supervisor who was called in to manage the finances of that system. The Catholic board has also seen enrolment drop by about 10,000 in the last eight years and currently has a student population of 70,000. There is no word if the Catholic board is laying off teaching staff.

Several reasons have been given for the decline in student population, with changing demographics being cited as the main reason. These include families moving out of the area or shifting their children to alternative or religious schools.

“This is not a good time to be a teacher, especially for the ones who are just starting out,” said the teacher. “This is pretty bad, and it may get worse.”


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