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The union determination to control spending is evidenced in the other issue cited by the elementary teachers when they walked away from negotiations. They said the government is offering “less than half the priority and special education funding negotiated in 2017.”

That makes it sound like big special education cuts, but the money in question isn’t even part of the special education budget. That stands at $3.1 billion this year, up more than $90 million over the previous year. Rather, the issue is an attempt to restore a temporary sweetener the Liberals gave unions to help secure the last contract. They provided money for two years only and last year the amount was $230 million a year, to be used for special education, helping children at risk or adult education, according to boards’ priorities.

The government is clearly willing to restore much of that money and has already committed $60 million to the two unions that have signed deals. There will be money in the ultimate elementary deal, too, but for now, the union is willing to close schools over a fraction of one per cent of overall education spending.

Not content to seek control over spending and hiring, unions also want a veto over how learning is delivered by rejecting the province’s proposal that two of 30 credits be delivered online. One would have thought that would be up to school boards or the education ministry.

Those who don’t follow arcane education rules carefully might assume that new teachers would be hired on merit. Not in Ontario

Sixty-thousand Ontario students already choose to take online courses and the number is going up by about 17 per cent a year. The provincial plan is for courses created by Ontario teachers and Ontario teachers will be able to assist students electronically. Some people are concerned about lack of internet access, but the government will have all secondary schools fully connected by September. Students who don’t have good access at home can do their work in school.

If teaching unions don’t like something, they think it’s their job to prevent it. One can see the same kind of thinking in strike actions that eliminated teacher training for an improved math curriculum and disrupted standardized tests.

The unions say this labour dispute is about the kids. The government says it’s about money. Really, it comes down to who should control the school system, the people you elect or the people teachers elect?

Randall Denley is an Ottawa political commentator and former Ontario PC candidate. Contact him at randalldenley1@gmail.com