Ontario’s 200,000 teachers will hit the picket lines Friday in a show of unity — and a show of force — against the provincial government, the first time they have held a mass walkout in more than 20 years.

Some 30,000 teachers, early childhood educators and school staff will be at Queen’s Park. In Peel Region, another 20,000 are planning to line 30 kilometres of Highway 10, from the lake north to Caledon — which they’ve dubbed “history on Hurontario.”

This first, legal strike by the unions representing public, Catholic and French educators will shut down 5,000 schools and impact the province’s two million students.

While the French and Catholic unions held talks with the provincial government this week, no deals were reached.

“This government has not been listening — not just to teachers, but parents and students,” who are also expected to join teachers on the picket lines, said NDP Education Critic Marit Stiles, adding she hopes the job action will send a message to the province.

“It is baffling — this government continues to proceed along the same road … and the fact that they are digging in, instead of reversing cuts, is really disappointing.”

At the legislature Thursday, Premier Doug Ford said the government is spending $1.2 billion more on education — although that largely comprises the province’s child-care rebate as well as an increase in enrolment.

“We believe that parents want us to increase investment in the schools and in our children who go there,” Ford said. “What they do not — and I’ve heard it right across this province — believe in is increasing compensation. They’d rather have that money … put back into the classroom.”

Ford also said “these strikes are impacting families. Just imagine how many people have to find child care or take a day from work. That’s unacceptable.”

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said a number of polls, as well as surveys conducted by boards and student groups, show little support for bigger classes or mandatory online learning in high school — two of the most controversial changes the government plans to implement.

Teachers have engaged in job action since late last year, including rotating strikes, bare-bones report cards and, for members of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, no extracurriculars.

The elementary union announced Thursday that it will move into “phase 6” of its job action, with details to come next Monday. It has been hitting boards with strikes two days a week — one rotating, one all-out provincial walkout each week.

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation has been holding one day, rotating strikes, and the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association will start rotating strikes next week.

The Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens, or AEFO, is also engaging in a work to rule.

This is the first time since 1997 that all of the teacher unions are engaged in job action.

Back then, there were five unions and they held a two-week walkout — deemed a “political protest” because they were not in a legal strike position — to fight changes by the Conservative government under Mike Harris.

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The Ontario Student Trustees’ Association, which represents the province’s two million students, is urging the Ford government to drop its controversial changes but also appealing to the teacher unions to stop striking.

“These things should not continue to happen,” said Sally Meseret.

Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce told reporters on Thursday that students want to be in class, and “what is unhelpful is that while we are negotiating, this escalation continues … I hope there does not have to be a ‘phase 6’ to this.”

The government has said salary increases are the main issue, with the unions seeking cost-of-living increases — about two per cent — a year, while the government has legislated a one per cent annual raise.

Lecce said the government has promised the unions it will keep full-day kindergarten as is.