World Education Support Personnel Day—May 16, 2021

World Education Support Personnel Day was launched in connection with Education International’s (EI) first-ever Education Support Personnel Conference in 2018. This is a day to recognize the extraordinary contribution education workers make to our schools and our union.

OSSTF/FEESO celebrates the work of education workers across the globe and Ontario, emphasizing their role in ensuring the delivery of high-quality public education and shining a light on the challenges that education workers face in their workplaces. This year, in particular, many education workers have been in schools since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the lack of support from the provincial government, that frequently forgets the contributions education support personnel make to keep the school system functioning effectively, they do this for students.

On behalf of the OSSTF/FEESO Provincial Executive, we urge you to recognize and celebrate the many and varied contributions that education workers make to Ontario’s publicly-funded schools and post-secondary campuses and students of all ages.

Local leaders and members may consider taking one of the following actions to recognize World Education Support Personnel Day on May 16.

• Write a letter to your employer or media outlet(s) highlighting the importance of education workers in your area. An example of a letter to your employer can be found here.
• Contact your local media outlet(s) and let them know that you are available for an interview on the topic of World Education Support Personnel Day. If you are unsure which local media outlet(s) serve your area, a good place to start. A sample of a media release can be found here.

The OSSTF/FEESO Provincial Executive has recorded a video message to education worker-members. In addition, downloadable social media graphics can be accessed below.

Social media graphics:

• Twitter
• Instagram
• Facebook