Thank you for inviting me here today.
Good afternoon, Mr. Chair and committee members. I'm grateful for the opportunity to speak with you. I'm also pleased to be appearing alongside Hassan Yussuff. Many thousands of our teachers and education workers are also members of the CLC.
I would like to begin by acknowledging that the land from which I am speaking to you today is Mi'kma'ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq people of Nova Scotia.
I would like to preface my remarks with a brief overview of the impact of COVID-19 on our students, teachers and education workers.
Canada's education system is one of the world's best. However, that standing is under severe threat due to the low prioritization it has received since the beginning of the pandemic. Education outcomes for students in this country are in jeopardy and the federal government must continue to take action before more damage is done to our K-to-12 cohort and the economy.
Last September, the OECD estimated that Canada's present value of GDP lost over the remainder of the century due to coronavirus-induced learning loss could be as high as $2.5 billion. Of more immediate concern is the direct impact of school closures on the economy as Canada tries to recover. According to the C.D. Howe Institute's comprehensive measure, K to 12 schooling accounts for 11.5% of the GDP in Canada. Therefore, the disruption of the Canadian education system impacts the Canadian economy almost more than any other sector.
These figures paint a stark picture around the importance of creating and maintaining safe schools. Still, in Ontario and in many areas of Alberta and Quebec, school buildings are again closed and students and teachers are forced to adopt online learning, with its numerous shortcomings in terms of equity and quality.
Before going forward, I also want to acknowledge the tremendous stress on all levels of government. On behalf of the Canadian Teachers' Federation, thank you to your staff and the dedicated members of the public service. Your work is so important.
While we recognize that education falls under provincial and territorial jurisdiction, the CTF/FCE applauded the $2-billion safe return to class fund. We appreciate the efforts made through this fund and other federal initiatives to try to keep students and educators safe. Unfortunately, I cannot stress enough that funding has not flowed down to the classroom level. Our teachers and education workers are still paying out of pocket for their PPE, hand sanitizers, additional cleaning products for their classrooms and makeshift dividers between desks.
Likewise, the CTF/FCE was pleased to see the government think outside the box by announcing Infrastructure Canada's $3-billion COVID-19 resilience funding stream, which aims to support projects such as retrofits and repairs for schools. We are also happy to see Infrastructure Canada's recent announcement of $120 million to support ventilation improvement projects in public buildings, including schools. This is something the CTF/FCE has long called for.
We also have concerns. What are the reporting and accountability measures in place to ensure that projects being funded are not, for example, roof repairs that have been neglected for years? Similarly, how can the federal government work to ensure provinces spend the funds in a timely manner?
In Ontario, just last week, funding was announced under the resilience stream for space reconfiguration, such as new walls or doors, to enhance physical distancing. Don't get me wrong. This is a much-needed investment, but it's the end of the school year. This federal fund was announced last August. That is why the CTF/FCE has been advocating—and will continue to advocate directly with federal officials and policy-makers—for better tracking of school-related federal funds, either through a federal-provincial-territorial task force or other mechanisms to ensure the funds are used in a timely manner, reaching their intended destinations and making a tangible difference.
Additionally, the CTF/FCE urges consideration of other supports for people on the front line. The lack of mental health funding for frontline workers remains a deep concern. A recent poll of Canadian teachers tells a worrying tale, with over 70% of respondents concerned about the impact of the pandemic on their own mental health and well-being. Of course, a major reason for this is the almost constant worry for their students in this challenging context.
We were happy to see additional funding in the fall economic statement for the Wellness Together program, but more resources are needed, and they must be allocated specifically for services tailored to the unique workplace stressors of teachers and other frontline workers.
As governments plan for the coming months, we must also ensure that teachers and all education workers have priority access to the COVID-19 vaccines so that our children can learn in class, parents can work and our economy can begin to recover.
The CTF/FCE is grateful for the federal government's support throughout the pandemic, but as this third and most vicious wave makes clear, the pandemic is still very much with us. The challenges our country faces, including those experienced by teachers and education workers, will continue to require the government's full attention.
On behalf of the over 300,000 teachers and their students across this country, I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to the important work of the committee and welcome the opportunity to answer any questions.
Thank you.