TORONTO, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is sounding the alarm over the shocking growth in compensation for Ontario teachers after counting 14,623 on the province’s 2019 sunshine list, which marks an increase of 46 per cent over the 10,038 in 2018.
“Teacher compensation is skyrocketing in Ontario while student performance continues to decline,” said Jasmine Moulton, Ontario Director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “Class sizes are going up even though education funding has reached historic highs, and that’s because the more expensive teacher compensation becomes, the fewer teachers the province can afford.”
Ontario’s public sector salary disclosure website lists the names of government employees who earn a salary of more than $100,000 in a year. In addition to receiving a salary of $100,000 or more per year, the 14,623 teachers on Ontario’s sunshine list also receive taxpayer funded benefits including pension contributions.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation received responses to freedom of information requests demonstrating that top earning Ontario teachers received a total compensation (salary plus benefits and employer pension contributions) of $120,097 in 2018.
Another FOI response to the CTF showed the average total compensation for a secondary school teacher in Ontario’s public school system was $103,926 in 2018. The Ontario school year is 194 days, meaning the average Ontario high school teacher earns $536 per working day.
The average income in Ontario in 2018 was $56,800 according to Statistics Canada.
Teacher compensation has increased since 2018. Last year, the Ontario government passed legislation to give more than one million government employees raises – including teachers – every year for the next three years. Each one per cent raise costs taxpayers $720 million annually.
Ontario’s deficit is projected to hit $39 billion this year and the provincial debt is approaching $400 billion. Each Ontarian’s portion of the provincial debt will hit $27,000 this year.
“The number of Ontario teachers earning a six-figure salary could now fill the town of Picton three times, Hanover twice, and nearly the entire town of Bracebridge,” said Moulton.
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Jasmine Moulton
Ontario Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation
p. 416-573-5458
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