Toronto, March 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) has announced that as a result of concerns related to the spread of COVID-19, the OECTA Annual General Meeting (AGM), scheduled to take place March 14 to 16 in Toronto, has been postponed.
“The OECTA AGM is a cornerstone of our union democracy, and a highlight of the year for Catholic teachers and our Association. However, given the concerns that medical professionals have expressed regarding travel and large gatherings, postponing it is the responsible thing to do,” says OECTA President Liz Stuart. “We are concerned for the health and well-being not only of our members, guests, and staff, but also their families, their students, school staff, and other members of the community.”
The OECTA AGM sees approximately 850 delegates, observers, guests, and staff come together from across the province to debate and pass resolutions on Association business, hear from invited speakers, discuss current events, and engage with fellow Catholic teachers. A new date for the meeting has not yet been set.
“This has been quite a year for our Association and the publicly funded education system in Ontario,” says Stuart. “OECTA members will be disappointed not to have the opportunity at this time to reflect on what has happened, and plan for the future. But teachers take our responsibility as community leaders seriously, and we know this is the right decision for everyone.”
OECTA will continue to monitor information related to COVID-19 and advise members accordingly.
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OECTA represents the 45,000 passionate and qualified teachers in Ontario’s publicly funded English Catholic schools, from Kindergarten to Grade 12.