Union report finds staffing shortages in all 72 Ontario school boards, with fewer supports for students

TORONTO — A new union report points to a worsening staff shortage in Ontario schools and warns of direct effects on the quality of education and on student safety, especially for children who need specialized educational support.

The report, issued by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Ontario School Board Councils of Unions (OSBCU), found that staff-to-student ratios have deteriorated in all 72 school boards compared with the 2018-2019 school year.

The two unions said students are bearing the consequences of the shortage of staff, while workers face growing workloads that are increasingly difficult to sustain.

Figures show the scale of the problem in Ontario schools

The report drew on government data and surveys of education workers, along with independent research on staffing levels and school services.

The findings showed that every school board saw a decline in the staff-to-student ratio in at least one job category in the period up to the 2025-2026 school year.

It also found that 60 school boards saw a deterioration in four or more job categories, which indicates that the problem is not limited to particular positions or regions.

The affected categories include educational assistants, early childhood educators, school office staff, custodial and maintenance workers, and specialists who provide psychological and social support.

95% of educational assistants report a lack of support

The survey found that 95% of participating educational assistants said there are students in their schools who need help but are not receiving the support they require.

It also found that 73% of respondents support five or more students, compared with 60% in 2018.

This pressure reduces the time available to follow individual needs, particularly for students with learning difficulties or those who need additional services.

The report warned that some families are forced to pick their children up from school early, or keep them at home, when schools are unable to provide the necessary support.

Shortages affect kindergarten and custodial work

The shortage extends to kindergarten classrooms. School boards lost the equivalent of 642 full-time early childhood educator positions between the 2018-2019 and 2025-2026 school years.

Forty-two school boards recorded a decline in the ratio of custodians to students, while 41% of workers who took part in the survey said some areas of their schools are not cleaned daily.

In addition, 45 school boards saw a deterioration in the ratio of office staff to students, at a time when administrative responsibilities and the demands of communicating with families are growing.

In psychological services, 39 of 61 boards recorded a decline in the ratio of psychology professionals to students, which raises concerns about waiting times for assessments and specialized services.

Criticism of the Doug Ford government over funding

Joe Tigani, president of the Ontario School Board Councils of Unions, criticized the Doug Ford government, saying its repeated talk of historic investments in education does not reflect the difficulties schools face.

The report cited an analysis by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives that estimates the cumulative inflation-adjusted funding shortfall per student at about $6.5 billion since 2018.

The unions argue that piling more work onto existing staff cannot make up for the continuing shortage of personnel, especially as students' needs grow.

Calls for more hiring

The unions called on the Ontario government to provide additional funding to hire educational assistants and specialized staff and to improve services delivered inside classrooms.

Their proposals include a specialized early childhood educator and an educational assistant in every kindergarten class, along with a cap of no more than 26 students per class.

The report comes as the unions prepare to continue negotiations on working conditions and staffing, amid demands that financial promises be turned into tangible improvements.

The unions, which represent more than 57,000 education workers in the province, say that addressing the shortage has become essential to ensure that all students receive safe schooling and support suited to their needs.