Hamilton school board officials say the Ford government's plan to boost class sizes will have a negative impact on their students' education.

"That's obviously surprising and very concerning," Catholic board chair Pat Daly said after learning of the government's announcement Friday.

The Progressive Conservatives said they will increase the cap for secondary school classes by six students — from 22 to 28.

Class sizes will remain the same from kindergarten to Grade 3, but from Grades 4-8, they will increase by one student.

Public school board chair Alex Johnstone also called the increases worrisome and said parents have not advocated for higher numbers.

"In fact, we have heard a desire for decreased class sizes," she said.

The province said Ontario high schools have one of the lowest student-to-teacher ratios in the country and the change will be phased in over four years.

"Not one teacher — not one — will lose their job because of our class size strategy," Education Minister Lisa Thompson said at a news conference in Toronto.

Daly said he expected bumping class sizes up will result in the loss of "at least 100" secondary school teachers in the Catholic board.

Whether that can happen through teacher retirements isn't clear, he added.

"Just the fact that we're going to lose anything of that kind of number of secondary teachers is very troubling," Daly said. "Clearly we support attrition, but we don't support the magnitude of these reductions."

Dan Staples, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation of Hamilton-Wentworth, disputed the government's guarantee against job losses.

"We're absolutely going to be losing jobs. We are dismantling the education system. I don't know how you begin to repair something like that."

The Ontario government funds classes for an average of 22 students, but many reach 30 or more students to accommodate smaller specialized classes.

Staples predicted class sizes will hit at least 40 students. "I'm not sure how you can effectively learn with a class that is bursting at the seams."

All signs point to a "rough ride" for Ontario schools in coming years, he said, noting teacher contracts expire at the end of August.

"You might see job action, you might not. It all depends on what our bargaining process might look like."

On Friday, the government also announced plans to introduce a new sex-ed curriculum that will return to teaching gender identity and consent in schools in the fall.

A ban on cellphone use in classrooms and a new math curriculum are also among other changes to the education system the Tories are rolling out.

"Our plan will modernize the classroom, will protect the future of our education system, and will ensure Ontario's students acquire the skills they need to build successful lives, families and businesses right here in Ontario," Thompson said.

The government says its new math curriculum for all grades will be phased in over four years. It will focus on basic concepts and skills, with the first changes coming into effect in the fall.

Johnstone said the public board welcomed the province's math announcement. "It reinforces work that is already taking place at our board."

But she added the board hopes it comes with additional dollars, particularly by making current temporary grants permanent.

Daly said he's also concerned about a plan to emphasize online credits. E-learning works for some students, but not all, he said. "A teacher in front of young people is always the best form of education."

In June, the Ford government's announced plan to revert to a sex-ed curriculum that was written in 1998 was met by an outcry from Hamilton education and sexual health officials.

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On Friday, the province said it would keep lessons on the proper names of body parts in Grade 1 but delay discussions of gender identity and gender expression to Grade 8 from Grade 6.

Parents have had the option of removing children from sex-ed classes, the government said in a news release.

"There will be clear provisions for parents who wish to exempt their child or children from sexual health education and online modules will be available for parents who want to discuss sexual health topics at home, whenever they feel their child is ready."

Daly said it's too early to comment on the sex-ed changes without more details but said the Catholic education system sees the recognition of parents as primary educators "as a positive thing, for sure."

However, a Hamilton public elementary school teacher who fought against the Ford's government rollback of the sex-ed curriculum wonders if Friday's announcement creates a "new chill" for teachers.

The reinforcement of what's "age appropriate" for higher grades might dissuade teachers from emphasizing inclusiveness in other aspects of education, Cindy Gangaram said.

"I think inclusive education needs us to be conscious of these moments," Gangaram said. "I worry that teachers would be more cautious."

Sam Hammond, president of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario, said his members were pleased to see topics like consent, sexting and gender identity are to be included in the curriculum.

"But we are concerned and want to consult with them on how they've determined the age appropriateness of those items."

In a news release, Tory MPP Donna Skelly said she and her colleagues "welcome conversation with any stakeholder who wants to work with us in good faith to ensure our plan always puts students first and remains fair to our educators."

tmoro@thespec.com

905-526-3264 | @TeviahMoro

— With files from The Canadian Press and Toronto Star

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