OSTA-AECO Open Letter on Bill 33
This op-ed was released by High School Too co-lead, OSTA-AECO, on November 3, 2025.
To: Hon. Paul Calandra, Minister of Education
CC:
Chandra Pasma, Ontario NDP Education Critic
John Fraser, Ontario Liberal Party Education Critic
Aislinn Clancy, Ontario Green Party Education Critic
Michael Bellmore, OCSTA President
Kathleen Woodcock, OPSBA President
René Jansen in de Wal, OECTA President
David Mastin, ETFO President
Martha Hradowy, OSSTF President
RE: Student Voice on Bill 33
Ontario’s education system is a symbol of our province’s promise. It grants every young person in this province the ability to get the skills needed to build Ontario for the future. We appreciate our mutual goal of creating policy that ensures student success. However, many students have expressed clear concern that the policies in Bill 33, Supporting Children and Students Act, 2025 will not enhance the student experience or pathways to success.
The passage of Bill 33 may risk creating inequitable opportunities for students to access key programs including school nutrition, student achievement, and well-being programs, all of which equip students with tools for success. Instead, we urge the government to enhance equitable funding for these critical programs, like the recent welcomed announcement of an additional five million dollars being invested into the Ontario Student Nutrition Program and the First Nations Student Nutrition Program.(1)
School safety is critical and fundamental to the well-being of all students, with the Safe Schools Act, 2000 mandating school safety policies in law. While Ontario has changed over the past twenty-five years and the need for greater safety has evolved, so has the need for contemporary solutions. Bill 33 would expand police access to schools in ways that many students and educators find deeply concerning. As noted in previous Ontario Human Rights Commission findings on policing and discrimination, expanded police access could worsen the experience of marginalized students, ultimately becoming a barrier to student success.(2) Our schools are reflective of our province, and we must question whether regular police presence in schools is essential to the ideal education system we want in Ontario. We urge the government to prioritize investment in mental health counsellors and trained support staff who can build trusting relationships with students, creating gateways to greater success.
Student trustees are essential to the successful and efficient operation of school boards. However, this bill poses a risk to the critical democratic obligation of student trustees to present what is hindering student success and what strategies could work to enhance student experiences. While the goal of centralizing operations attempts to create greater efficiencies, it does not fully account for the diversity of regional needs across our province. The passage of Bill 33 would weaken local voices and autonomy, which ensures equitable services are provided to communities.
All decisions should be made alongside and in the best interests of students, created through our mutual goal of student success. Many students believe that aspects of Bill 33 will not serve their best interests and hinder our ability to succeed.
To conclude, the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association makes the following requests:
Meeting with Minister Paul Calandra: We request a meeting with the Minister of Education, Paul Calandra, to provide a first-hand student perspective on the potential impacts of Bill 33.
Reconsideration or amendment of Bill 33: We urge all House Leaders and members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to reconsider and amend Bill 33 in its current form to allow greater student input and discussion.
As Minister Calandra stated, “[s]tudents deserve every chance to succeed,” and with the implementation of Bill 33, those chances for success could be limited. Protecting Ontario means strengthening the systems that safeguard its future. Our public education system is an essential safeguard that deserves the appropriate investment and care. All legislation affecting students should reflect their voices. We look forward to having conversations with the Minister and seeing progress made.
Thank you for your attention and consideration.
Sincerely,
Carter Peios
OSTA-AECO President