When an elementary school student doesn’t receive the support they need, whether they’re grappling with a new math concept or trying to catch up with reading, they begin to believe that they are the problem, teachers note.
This hit to their self-esteem can follow them through the remainder of their educational trajectory, and even their whole lives. That’s the outcome elementary school teachers are seeing in their classrooms now that funding cuts have led to the removal of education assistants and other supports.
According to Josh Dickson, president of the Waterloo Region branch of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), it’s something that has become common under the Ford government.
