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A $29 million jet proposal is easy to headline. Lead in school drinking water, mold in portables, and classrooms so hot a student passes out during an exam are easier to ignore, until you realize they’re happening in a province that can afford better. 

In this episode of Let’s Talk Politics, we sit down with René Jansen in de Wal, President of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA), to unpack the reality inside Ontario’s classrooms—and what years of chronic underfunding have actually delivered.

We break down the government’s claims of “historic” education spending against the reality of a billion-dollar shortfall once inflation and transparency are factored in. René explains how bundling childcare funding into education spending muddies the picture, and why families are feeling the consequences: larger class sizes, fewer staff supports, and schools being pushed to do more with less.

We also dig into governance at Queen’s Park, including supervisors replacing trustees, and why that shift can weaken transparency and community accountability.

Then we zoom out to the bigger stakes: OSAP cuts and student debt pressures, the risk of sliding toward U.S. style privatization, and how public education functions as an economic investment and a democratic equalizer.

René lays out what needs to change now: smaller class sizes, stronger mental health supports, safer schools—especially in the face of rising technology and social media pressures—and a public commission that brings parents, students, educators, and communities to the same table.

If you care about funding public education and the future of Ontario’s public schools, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. 

Like, subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend—and let us know what you’re seeing in your local school.

Disclaimer: This episode was recorded on March 30, 2026. While some developments may have changed since then, the ideas and insights discussed remain relevant.