Talks continue with the union representing Ontario’s high school teachers, who will walk off the job on Wednesday if no deal is reached.

Harvey Bischof, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, said his negotiators remain frustrated over the slow pace of talks, which were held all weekend in a bid to avoid the one-day strike.

“Over the last two days we’ve seen no evidence that the government is serious about getting to a deal that safeguards students’ quality of education,” Bischof told the Star Sunday night.

“The government continues to drag its feet” even though the public opposes government measures such as larger classes and mandatory online credits for teens.

“We remain committed to negotiating a deal that is good for Ontario’s students.”

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) represents 60,000 members — including teachers, speech-language pathologists, school psychologists, social workers as well as office and maintenance staff in some boards — and their Dec. 4 job action will shut down English public high schools, as well as some elementary schools in English, French and French Catholic boards.

Negotiations for teachers continue Monday and for support staff on Tuesday.

The “full withdrawal of services” on Dec. 4 is a first for the union in more than two decades.

His members have been on a work-to-rule since last Tuesday.

In a statement to the Star, Education Minister Stephen Lecce said he was “calling on (the unions) to stay at the table and work with us in good faith” to get deals.

The government, Lecce said, is going to “continue to fight to ensure your children remain in class.”

On Thursday, he called the strike action “deeply troubling,” saying “strikes hurt kids.”

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario also launched a work-to-rule last Tuesday, but will not participate in the one-day strike.

President Sam Hammond has said talks with the province and school boards’ associations are frustrating.

Education minister Stephen Lecce has said the province wants to increase average high school class sizes from last year’s 22 students up to 25 — down from its original proposal of 28 — which would still phase out thousands of teaching jobs and course options for teens.

He’s also said the province now wants teens to have to earn two online courses in high school, starting with those entering Grade 9 next fall. That’s down from the government’s original proposal of four mandatory credits.

Currently, there is no mandatory online learning, and students already enrolled in high school are exempt.

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There is no jurisdiction on North America that mandates two online courses. A handful of U.S. states require one.

The high school teachers’ union is seeking salary increases equal to the cost of living — about two per cent — while the province has just passed legislation limiting any broader public sector pay boosts to one per cent a year.