Education is a Right

In this episode we catch-up with Senior Research Associate at the University of Toronto and anti-body engineer Dr. Shane Miersch about preparations for preventing and addressing future pandemics and the way in which public funding is being deployed in funding research and infrastructure. For previous episodes with Dr. Miersch in which related topics are discussed

In this New Year interview with CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions President Laura Walton we discuss the ways in which education workers were able to get around the limitations imposed by the government and the labour relations regime on their organizing and actions and what this means for the future.

In this episode we interview families without immigration status in Canada and activists for the rights of those without status about their experiences  trying to affirm the right to education in Canada for their children and themselves. The Migrant Rights Network informs that as a result of actions demanding status for all, Prime Minister Justin

In this episode we get an overview from retired labour lawyer Kendal McKinney of the extensive ruling by an Ontario Superior Court justice  that struck down Bill 124, the Ontario government’s wage and strike limiting legislation.

In this episode, we are reproducing, in its entirety, the remarks of CUPE’s Ontario School Board Council of Unions press conference announcing the results of the vote on their tentative agreement. The press conference includes remarks by CUPE-OSBCU President, Laura Walton, and the Q and A with members of the media.

In this episode we speak with educational support staff about the current staffing crisis in Ontario schools and what is required in the short-term to address the conditions which exist.

In this episode, we interview a teacher in British Columbia on the tentative agreement being put to a vote November 28-30 in that province and what is known about how the agreement addresses the issues of teachers’ working conditions that are their students’ learning conditions.

In this episode we are reproducing in their entirety the remarks of CUPE’s Ontario School Boards Council of Unions President Laura Walton announcing a tentative agreement with the government as well as her Q and A with members of the media. Walton clearly articulates why they are taking the tentative agreement to the membership and

In this episode we are providing coverage of an important rally of Albertans held on October 22, 2022 in defence of the right to public education. Edisaright interviewed participants about their concerns and what they people to know about their demands for the education system.

This year we are marking remembrance day with a series of poems. The poems are from World War I, the Anti-fascist war in Spain, World War II the US war of Aggression Against Vietnam and Iraq and the siege of Gaza. The poems are for a remembrance which seeks to end the scourge of war

In this episode we report on the defiance of Ontario education workers to draconian back-to-work legislation passed by the Ontario government and interview workers on the picket lines who speak about why they are fighting. The GoFundMe campaign for grocery funds for CUPE OSBCU education workers referred to in the podcast can be found here

In this special interview we speak with Miriam Almansa, a lifelong Cuban patriot and revolutionary, teacher and participant in Cuba’s literacy campaign some 61 years ago as a youth. This campaign, launched immediately after the Cuban Revolution, eradicated illiteracy on the island in just 8 months. This impressive accomplishment was carried out by the massive

In this episode educators in Alberta discuss a recent survey issued by the government of Alberta concerning a new teacher code of conduct and what it indicates about the government’s plans. For information on the province wide rally being held on October 22 click here Previous episodes: Episode 133: K-12 education in Alberta – where

In this episode we interview Laura Walton, President of the Ontario School Boards Council of Unions  (OSBCU) about strike votes the union held recently in its negotiations for a new contract. Related episodes: Episode 144: “We are critical to the classroom” – Ontario educational support staff speak out Episode 139 – Ontario education workers organizing

This episode is part 4 of our series on the new Ontario de-streamed grade 9 science curriculum. In this part we interview Dr. Dougal Macdonald, Assistant Professor from the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta, about considerations for approaching the teaching of climate change. Thanks go to Rainbow Heart Education for the album

In this episode Teresa and Laura, two grade 1 teachers in Ontario go over changes of note in the new Ontario elementary science curriculum. Reference Material Related to This Episode: For a PDF of the 1-8 Science Curriculum (as of September 15, 2022) New 1-8 Science Curriculum Documents – Government of Ontario New science curriculum

Schools in Alberta are set to open this week. In this episode we provide an update on developments in K-12 education in the province.

In this episode we interview Tyler Campbell and Darlene Sawchuk, two local presidents of educational support staff unions in Ontario about the conditions facing support staff especially during the pandemic and their concerns as negotiations for a new contract begin.

In Part 2 of our series on the new Ontario Science Curriculum we interview engineer and secondary teacher Dana Chesnik about her experience teaching the engineering design process in pre-engineering and robotics courses in Alberta. The process is a new addition to Ontario’s grade 9 de-streamed general science course SNC1W. Resources: Aerodynamics Design Challenge Learning Report

In this episode we review the new grade 9 de-streamed science course Snc1w. The curriculum and resources for the course from the Minister of Education can be found here. For previous episodes related to inquiry based teaching in science and math check out these episodes: Episode 76: Modern teaching methods in math and science Episode

In this episode we speak with representatives of the Canadian Federation of Students – Ontario who discuss their concerns for the coming year and how they are preparing to deal with a second term of the Ford government. For background on the Student Choice Initiative see episodes below: Episode 22: Students' court victory over Ontario

In this episode we talk about what the recent election of a PC majority in Ontario means for K-12 education and educators. Below is the transcript of this episode. On June 24, Ontario's MPPs and the government's new cabinet, also known as the executive council, were sworn in following the June 2 provincial election in

In this episode we catch up with Laura Walton, President of the Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU), CUPE’s K-12 education division which represents some 55,000 education workers in the public, Catholic, English, and French school systems across Ontario. Laura was in Windsor, Ontario with OSBCU activists from across the province discussing how they

In this series reviewing the Ontario Ford government's reforms in education since taking office we discuss some of the major reforms that took place in post-secondary and K-12 education and the resistance that emerged to them. In part 1 researchers Adam and Kaitlyn led the discussion on major reforms in post-secondary education. In this episode,

In this 3 part series reviewing the Ontario Ford government’s reforms in education since taking office we discuss some of the major reform that took place in post-secondary and K-12 education. In part 1 researchers Adam and Kaitlyn lead the discussion on major reforms in post-secondary education. Part 2 will address major reforms in K-12

In this episode, we're starting the discussion on what, in the opinion of Education is a Right, an education friendly government means in the context of the June 2 Ontario election. Teachers and education workers in Ontario are being called upon to elect an education-friendly government. This is a lofty goal. However, what does this

From March 11-14 some 600 hundred k-12 teacher delegates of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association from across Ontario gathered online to discuss and debate. In this episode we interview David Del Duca, president of the Wellington Unit of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association about the meeting .

From March 11-14 some 650 delegates and observers attended the provincial assembly of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation virtually. In this episode we interview Deborah Buchanan Walford, an adult day school teacher, executive member of OSSTF District 12 Toronto and a delegate to the Provincial Assembly about her experience and major discussions at AMPA.

In this episode we catch up with Kevan Hunter, a middle school teacher in Alberta, about the situation in education in that province. He updates us on the situation of covid19 requirements in the schools, the government’s new curriculum and their intention to takeover the Alberta Teacher Associations role in regulating teacher professional conduct. For

In this episode we speak with two members of the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology – Academic  bargaining team, which has given notice of their intention to strike on March 18th. Ravi Ramkissoonsingh is President, OPSEU Local 242, Faculty Union at Niagara College in Welland Ontario and Michelle Arbour is President of OPSEU Local

In this episode we continue our discussion with Toronto teachers Mel and David about a work refusal at their school in response to unsafe working conditions during the Omicron wave in Ontario. For part one of this discussion click below: 130: Experiences upholding health and safety in our schools during the Omicron wave – Part

In this episode Toronto teachers Mel and David discuss their experiences organizing in their high school with their colleagues to uphold health and safety standards and protocols. In Part 2 they discuss their own experiences refusing unsafe work in the context of the Omicron wave of COVID19 in Ontario.

In this episode Ezio provides an overview of changes to academic streaming taking place in Ontario for the 2022-23 academic year. Previous episodes on the Ontario math curriculum, on of those being de-streamed, check out the following episodes: Episode 103: Destreaming High School Math in Ontario – Part 1 Episode 105: Destreaming High School Math

In this episode we interview Lana Talbot and Willow Key about a grassroots project on the Windsor -Detroit border to establish a museum at the Sandwich First Baptist Church, a historic site on the underground railroad built by freedom fighters who had liberated themselves from slavery.

In this episode we catch up with antibody engineer Dr. Shane Miersch about his lab’s work to develop engineered antibodies to treat diseases like COVID-19 and the massive potential Open Science has to free our responses to infectious disease from the shackles of narrow private interests. For the paper on Open Drug Discovery referenced by

In this episode we get an update from Ben, an educator in Nova Scotia. The interview was recorded on December 26 prior to the announcement that Nova Scotia students would go online until today, January 17 when they subsequently returned to in-person school. Ben discusses developments during the start-up of school, how Orange Shirt Day

In this episode we discuss developments in Ontario and Alberta in K-12 education following the holiday break. This discussion was recorded prior to Ontario’s announcement that schools will resume full in-person learning on January 17, 2022.

In this episode we talk with educational support staff in Ontario that continue to work in schools despite reported school closures. They share their concerns for their health and safety and the challenges they face in keeping their students safe in class and how they are empowering themselves under these circumstances to bring attention to

In this interview we talk with Chantal and Jon, educators from Manitoba, about how the opening of school went, how the government of Manitoba is adjusting after the defeat of Bill 64 and how educators and students marked Orange Shirt Day in that province. We also discuss what to look out for in the new

In this year end episode we reflect on what advances have been achieved in 2021 and what to look out for as we enter 2022.

In this episode we endeavor to provide an update on what we know as of December 26, 2021 about what is happening across Canada in education in relation to the start of the schools after the holiday break amidst the uncertainty we are all facing about whether and how schools will re-start after the holiday

In this episode we speak with Dr. Jane McArthur, community-based occupational and environmental health advocate and parent about the airborne spread of COVID-19 and how we can work together to implement what's required based on what we know and are learning about this virus. Dr. McArthur recently moderated a webinar entitled Time to Say It:

This is part 1 of our interview with Kevan and Dougal. In this episode we discuss the current teaching and learning conditions in K-12 education as well as post-secondary in Alberta during the pandemic.  Part 2 will address the state of negotiations in both K-12 and post-secondary as educators in both sectors are currently in

In this episode we catch up with Peter Miller, a Canadian living and teaching in western China. Peter has been teaching at a private international school in China since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and has provided regular insights into what conditions are like where he is living and teaching and how he and

This is part 1 of a 2 part interview with Charline Grant, co-founder of Parents of Black Children, an advocacy group in Ontario. We spoke with Grant in August shortly after the group held a car rally at the Ontario legislature about the group’s demands and the experience of Black parents and children in the

This episode is dedicated to assisting the younger generation to learn about Canada’s participation in the war in Afghanistan and to the memory of all those who were killed and sacrificed as part of the U.S. led war on terror. It is our view that the best way to honour soldiers and others who died

In this episode we interview Nelson CEO Steve Brown. Nelson’s public relations firm Talk Shop Media reached out to us to suggest an interview with Brown about his views on the future of hybrid education in Canada. In this interview, Brown discusses Nelson’s new platform Edwin and the role of educators within it. It provides

This is part 2 of our interview with educator Chantal Shivanna Ramraj about developments in Manitoba. In this segment we talk about how educators are organizing at a grassroots level, working conditions, the right to strike, the Manitoba government’s program to dismantle public education as well as how educators in Manitoba are addressing Canada’s legacy

This interview with Stacey Zhang of Justice for Society Magazine and Podcast was recorded on August 26, 2021 as part of Education is a Right Podcast’s virtual conference – Affirming the Right to Education in the 21st Century. Stacey discusses the concerns of young people as school began and the preoccupations of Justice for Society

In this episode we catch up with Bella Lewkowicz, past Vice-President of the Ontario Teacher Candidate Council, an organization of teacher candidates from across Ontario have challenged the government’s math proficiency test imposed on new teachers prior to the pandemic. Bella discusses the latest on the legal challenge with a ruling expected October 12, 2021.

This interview was recorded on August 18, 2021 just after the resignation of Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister and prior to the decision of the Manitoba government to not proceed with Bill 64. Manitoba educator Chantal Shivanna Ramraj discusses pandemic education in Manitoba, the overall direction of Bill 64 and its relationship to attempts to establish