Ontario teachers reach settlement over labour complaint, government to backtrack on mandatory reading screening

The Ontario government will no longer mandate early reading screenings this year after reaching a settlement with two teacher’s unions over a complaint about unfair labour practices.

The complaint was filed to the province’s labour tribunal earlier this month.

In the complaint, the unions argue the government failed to bargain in good faith when they released a memo directing school boards to conduct annual early screenings for all students in Year 2 of Kindergarten through Grade 2.

• Download our app to get local alerts on your device
• Get the latest local updates right to your inbox

Teachers’ unions are currently in negotiations with the province over their new contract. They argued that by directing teachers to use the new reading screening tools, the government contravened their existing collective agreement, violated the statutory freeze period during bargaining, and circumvented the bargaining process for the upcoming contracts.

In a joint statement issued Wednesday, the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) and the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) said they had reached settlements with the government in relation to the complaint, calling it “belated, but welcome.”

As part of the settlement, the use of an "Early Reading Screening Tool" is no longer mandatory for teachers for the 2023-24 school year.

The unions said in their statement that educators will continue to “use their expertise to identify and address students’ unique individual needs.”

“The government also commits to returning to the bargaining table to resolve the issue in good faith. The government will be issuing a memorandum to school boards to advise of the change in direction,” they said.

The Ministry of Education says the decision for mandated early reading screenings was always dependent on the final collective agreement with teachers. In the memo, it says that where there is conflict between the directives outlined and a collective agreement, “the collective agreement prevails.”

"The government remains committed to screening all students between SK and Grade 2 as recommended by the Ontario Human Rights Commission, as we work to improve literacy rates in Ontario,” spokesperson Justin Saunders told CTV News Toronto in a statement.

“We recognize the importance of screening students for reading comprehension and providing teachers the tools they can use to do so, so long as it is compliant with collective agreements, and that remains unchanged following the (Ontario Labour Relations Board).”

Stock photo of a classroom. (skynesher / IStock.com)

ETFO and OECTA have both publicly said they will be holding strike votes in the fall amid stalled negotiations. It’s unclear how impactful this settlement will be in the bargaining process; however the unions have said they hope the Doug Ford government will “learn from this error in judgement and bargain in good faith.”

“Our message to the government is clear: keep bargaining issues at the bargaining table or we will continue to take swift action to protect our members’ bargaining rights and public education. Both of our associations will continue to work toward realizing a fair, negotiated agreement that supports all students, educators, and families.”

The “Early Reading Screening Tool” was first introduced by the government in April legislation meant to modernize Ontario’s education system and boost both math and literacy.

At the time, the government said it was to assist with early identification of students who require further support with reading in the classroom.