(Posted 9:30 a.m., Feb. 23)
Public board high school teachers given green light to resume extra-curricular activities
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online

Public board highs school teachers can resume coaching sports and other extra-curricular activities following a decision by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation to "suspend" the political action.

OSSTF president Ken Coran called the decision, which was made on Friday, "a gesture of good will" .

“We expect that this sign of good will from our members will prompt the government to have genuine discussions that can lead to a fair resolution to this current impasse,” Coran said in a statement. “We still maintain that voluntary activities are just that: voluntary.

“We encourage members to review recent information and decide if they are willing to return to participating in the activities we know they feel so passionately about."

Sam Hammond, the president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), whose members have also largely withdrawn from voluntary school activities, said his union will review its position on extracurriculars by next Friday.

Public board high school students have been relying on parent volunteers and non-unionized staff members to coach. In many schools where volunteer coaches haven't been available, there has been no interscholastic sports.

For this year's graduating class, a number of sports have already gon by the wayside including boys and girls volleyball, basketball and soccer, football and hockey, leaving only rugby, field hockey and track and field on the schedule.

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