A new report from CUPE and the Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU) reveals a deepening understaffing crisis across Ontario’s schools, leaving students’ needs unmet and education workers facing unsustainable workloads. The report documents staffing pressures affecting Educational Assistants, Designated Early Childhood Educators, Child and Youth Workers, school office staff, custodians, maintenance and trades workers, and other professional support staff whose work is essential to students’ learning, well-being and safety.
Drawing on government staffing and enrolment data, education worker surveys and independent research, the report finds that all 72 Ontario school boards were hit by worsening staffing ratios for education worker classifications in 2025–26 than in 2018–19. At 60 boards, staffing ratios worsened in four or more classifications.
The findings challenge the Ford government’s repeated claims of “historic investments” in education. Staffing levels are worse, there are more students per staff than at the beginning of the Conservative government’s time in office, and student needs are going unmet due to understaffing. The report cites a Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives analysis estimating a cumulative $6.5 billion shortfall in inflation-adjusted per-pupil funding since 2018.
Read the full CUPE-OSBCU staffing report here.
In Ottawa, CUPE 2357 represents approximately 3,500 education workers at the Ottawa Catholic School Board, including Educational Assistants, registered early childhood educators, office administrators and other support staff. The local reports staffing pressures across classifications, with Educational Assistants moved between classrooms to fill gaps, disrupting the consistent support students rely on.
Understaffing affects every part of the school day. Educational Assistants are supporting more students, leaving less time for individual help. Fewer Designated Early Childhood Educators mean more kindergarten students are missing out on the two-educator model. School office staff face growing responsibilities, custodians cannot consistently complete cleaning duties, and maintenance workers report delayed or unfinished repairs.
For students with disabilities, gaps in support can mean losing access to school itself. The report cites research documenting families being asked to pick up their children early or keep them home because schools cannot meet their needs. Meanwhile, insufficient access to professional support staff contributes to long waits for assessments and services.
CUPE-OSBCU is fighting to secure staffing improvements through central bargaining, including dedicated funding to hire more education workers, a Designated Early Childhood Educator and an Educational Assistant in every kindergarten classroom, and a firm kindergarten class-size limit of 26 students.
Education workers are calling on the Ford government to turn funding announcements into the staff and services students need. Every child deserves the support to participate fully in school, and every school needs enough workers to provide it.
The OSBCU represents more than 57,000 CUPE education workers across Ontario.
Quotes:
Joe Tigani, President of OSBCU: “Students are paying the price for a government that keeps announcing ‘historic investments’ while schools struggle to provide the support children need. Education workers cannot make up for missing staff by working harder, skipping breaks or doing unpaid work. The government’s own data shows that staffing is falling behind. We are bringing solutions to the bargaining table: dedicated funding for more staff and stronger support in kindergarten. The Ford government must act so that every child can attend a full school day, participate in learning and get the support they need.”
Cynthia Steeves, President of CUPE 2357: “Every student deserves a safe school and the chance to learn. But when education workers are moved from classroom to classroom to fill gaps, students lose the consistency and relationships they rely on, and our members are left exhausted. One of our educational assistants was assigned to nine classrooms in a single day. Our students deserve better, and so do the workers supporting them. We need enough staff to give every child the attention, stability and support they need to succeed.”
Numbers at a Glance:
Province-wide staffing comparisons are between 2018–19 and 2025–26 unless otherwise noted.
- All 72 school boards had worsening student-to-staff ratios in at least one education worker classification. 60 boards had worsening ratios in four or more classifications.
- 95 percent of EAs surveyed reported students at their schools who needed EA support but did not receive it. 73 percent supported five or more students, compared with 60 percent in 2018.
- School boards lost 642 full-time equivalent DECE positions between 2018–19 and 2025–26.
- 42 school boards had worsening student-to-custodian ratios. 41 percent of custodial survey respondents reported parts of their schools were not cleaned every day.
- 45 school boards had worsening student-to-school-office-staff ratios.
- 99.6 full-time equivalent trades positions were lost between 2018–19 and 2025–26.
- 39 of 61 boards with psychologists and related staff (64 percent) had worsening student-to-psychological-staff ratios.