Hudak seeks to change what it means to be a teacher

Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak (Courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

By Christian Quequish

Ontario Progressive Conservative Party Leader Tim Hudak is releasing a series of proposals on education this week aimed at changing how elementary and secondary school teachers work.

In a statement released Tuesday, Hudak said that teachers should undertake extra duties outside of their regular teaching hours.

Hudak said in two press releases this week that thorough reviews of students’ progress in report cards, parent-teacher interviews, marking papers and helping students who need that extra push are all part of being a teacher.

“There should be no such thing as work-to-rule when it comes to our children’s education,” Hudak said.

Christine Bujold, a press secretary in Hudak’s office, told Humber News on Tuesday that the leader’s policy paper will be released on Thursday.

The paper is a result of Bill-115, which was instituted by the provincial Liberal government, according to Ottawa Sun‘s Mike Aubry. It will discuss the party’s educational reform proposal in greater detail.

“The Liberals took these tasks out of the job definition, effectively making them bargaining chips in contract negotiations,” Hudak said in a press release Monday.

The Globe and Mail’s Adrian Morrow reported that Hudak slammed the teacher’s unions for not performing voluntary duties such as managing school sports and clubs.

“A teachers’ relationship with her students is unique, and it goes past 3 p.m.,” Hudak was quoted as saying in the Globe and Mail. “We believe in giving more professional responsibility to teachers.”

According to netnewsledger article, Lisa Macleod, Hudak’s education critic who is also MPP for Nepean-Carleton, said, “Ontario should prevent union leaders from intimidating teachers with the threat of fines.”