May 15, 2020 — OSSTF/FEESO has been celebrating education workers in a formal way since 1999, when we created Support Staff Appreciation Day. Every year since then we have acknowledged and celebrated the important roles education workers play in Ontario’s public schools and post-secondary institutions. OSSTF/FEESO has recently made the decision to discontinue our celebration of Support Staff Appreciation Day and join our colleagues around the globe in celebrating World Education Support Personnel Day, which is observed on May 16 every year.

The entire spectrum of publicly-funded education – elementary schools, secondary schools, colleges and universities – relies on a diverse, highly-skilled education team. Every person on that team plays a part in ensuring safe, clean and welcoming environments for learning, and in helping to equip students with the knowledge, skills and sense of community they need to succeed in a rapidly-changing world.

I urge all Ontarians to join OSSTF/FEESO members in celebrating the crucial work of education workers around the world by commemorating World Education Support Personnel Day tomorrow.