Ontario's Education Minister says the province has reached a deal with teachers in the French-language public school system.
The tentative deal with the Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens (AEFO) is similar to those reached with elementary and secondary school teachers, sending outstanding matters such as salary to binding arbitration.
The agreement ensures no strikes or other job action in the French-language public schools for three years, but the specifics of the contract will stay under wraps until AEFO members ratify it. There is no word yet when the ratification vote will take place, but that is expected come out soon.
"Our singular focus has always been to keep students learning in class without the disruption of a strike," said Stephen Lecce in a news release on Thursday. "Stability in the classroom ensures that students benefit from our government's back-to-basics agenda, focused on what matters most: boosting reading, writing, and math skills."
The AEFO represents about 12,000 elementary and secondary educators at French-language boards in Ontario.
The Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association is now the only major teachers' union without an agreement, and Lecce says he encourages them "to put students first and sign a deal."