School’s out for summer…and potentially fall. 

While students are undoubtedly soaking up the sun during their summer break, there is a potential dark cloud looming over the start of their upcoming school year. 

The Ontario teachers’ unions have been unable to come to an agreement with the province on their demands, and until the labour dispute is resolved to their satisfaction, teachers across Ontario could potentially be looking at a strike come September. Leaders from the four teachers’ unions (elementary, secondary, Catholic and French) have enforced a work-to-rule campaign after talks with the province broke off last spring, in hopes that the government will hear their demands and renegotiate the terms of their contracts. They’ve refused to plan field trips, take part in meetings or participate in any student development programs for as long as it takes, even if that means cutting into the new school year this fall. 

Perhaps this is a good time for parents to potentially consider the idea of “private schooling.” Independent schools in Ontario will be unaffected by the strike, so parents with concerns about their child’s education for the fall might still have options. 

“Our enrolment began back in September of last year, but we would certainly entertain the idea of parents coming forward for options, regardless of turmoil that might be happening within the public school system,” says David Huckvale, admission director at the Country Day School (CDS).  

Huckvale advises that admissions offices are reachable throughout the summer but at this point deadlines have already passed for admissions. 

“Right now, we have about half of our grades full or on waiting lists. Late enrolment could be an option, but it really all depends at this point on what is available,” says Huckvale. 

“There are still last-minute options available,” advises Praveen Muruganandan, director of strategic enrolment management at the York School. He recommends immediately emailing schools at this point, to see which ones have not yet reached full capacity. “I know many schools, like us, reserve a few spaces for international enrolment, so if they haven’t been filled, this could be an option, if the school allows it,” he says. 

Dina Astrella, head of the prep school at Bayview Glen, tries to look at the brighter side of the whole situation. “Sometimes a strike can give parents the opportunity to explore other educational options that they might never have considered before, such as private schooling,” she says. “I think many parents would be pleasantly surprised at how accessible private education can actually be, with things like funding and bursaries that they might not know even exist,” she adds. Her advice? “Just make the call. It never hurts to ask!”

Astrella gives examples of instances where students have been accepted long after the enrolment deadline had passed. “It really depends on the child more than anything. If the child is a great fit for our school and there is room, we do what we can to make it happen, regardless of deadlines,” she says. 

She hopes parents will consider that making the switch is not a quick fix. She stresses the fact that enrolling your child into private school is a long-term commitment and the decision shouldn’t be made simply because of the timing of these unfortunate events.

According to Huckvale, there is certainly an increase in calls and visits at CDS from parents wondering if last-minute enrolment is even an option. He says that parents visiting CDS are not shy about admitting that their inquiries into the private school system are due to all the uncertainty surrounding September and the potential strike.

He sympathizes with parents in this position but worries that parents may be making rash decisions about their child’s educational future solely because of their limited options. 

“If they were making this decision with more time and less turmoil, I’d want to see them conduct the same type of investigation for their child’s schooling,” says Huckvale, as his main goal is to ensure that the student is a right fit for the school, just as much as the school is a right fit for the student.

Still, the question remains: will there be room now that private school deadlines for enrolment have long passed? 

Only time will tell.