Queen’s University educational reform expert Josh Cole is available to talk about the Ontario government reaching a deal with the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association.

"In their desire to tackle a deficit numbering in the billions, the provincial government has set their sights on public sector workers of all stripes. In an atmosphere of public animosity toward teachers throughout North America, they serve as particularly low-hanging fruit,” says Mr. Cole. “It appears as though this latest tactic – focusing on the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association – seeks to divide the unions from one another, so that they can be picked off one by one. McGuinty's Liberals are playing a game of political chicken with groups – teachers and also doctors, also subject to recent attacks – who have supported them solidly for years. Time will tell if the gamble pays off."

Mr. Cole is a PhD student working on his doctoral dissertation on the history of educational reform in postwar Ontario and specifically on 1968's so-called Hall-Dennis report (which parallels the current Ontario government's educational reforms – all-day kindergarten, play-based early learning, and increased use of technology in education).

He can also talk about the history of education in Ontario and Canada, educational reform in North America, the history of progressive education, and educational policy and politics in historical perspective.

To arrange an interview, please contact communication officers Michael Onesi (office: 613.533.6000 ext. 77513,michael.onesi@queensu.ca) or Anne Craig (office:613-533-2877, Anne.Craig@queensu.ca) at Queen’s University News and Media Services Department in Kingston, Ont., Canada.

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