Article content continued

It’s about time someone reminded teachers’ unions how the world works. If they are allowed to teach whatever they like when it comes to sex-ed, what will they do about math? Ford is also consulting on changes to the math curriculum, but it’s clear he believes schools need more rote learning and less “discovery math.” This is an old, long-running debate, but students’ poor results in elementary and applied secondary school math tests are an indicator that we need to try something different. Some teachers won’t like that change. Should they have the final say?

The subtext of the teacher’s stance is that Ford is a uniquely bad guy, and needs to be opposed. Every left-thinking person knows that. It would be a better argument if the teachers didn’t go to war with premier after premier.

Teachers’ unions have had a difficult time dealing with government going back to at least the time of Mike Harris in the 1990s. Then they got Dalton McGuinty, the education premier. There was a honeymoon period, but teachers turned against McGuinty when he tried to curtail their compensation. Kathleen Wynne was a hit, until she wasn’t. The secondary and elementary teachers unions supported the NDP in the last election.

For quite some time, teachers’ unions have been actively engaged in politics and have adopted the notion that their support is critical to a party getting elected. Apparently, it’s not. Professional opinions about education from teachers and their unions are welcome, but ignoring the wishes of a democratically-elected government is not.

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