By washing the feet of two Muslims the Pope has sent a message that it is time for us to reach out to other faiths. This is also a message to Catholic Trustees to open the doors of our schools. Some Ontario Catholic school systems already allow non-Catholics to attend their elementary schools. Two years ago I heard one of these students speak at a conference. This student shared how much he enjoyed learning about Catholicism during the week, while he also liked learning about his religion on Saturdays. This boy of 10 or 11 had more interfaith respect and understanding than most of us can hope to learn in a lifetime.

Ontarian parents who favour one unified school system would be wise to take a look at the education scene in B.C., where some say the teachers' union is more powerful than God. If we didn't have three teachers' unions in Ontario, it is likely that no students would be enjoying extra-curricular activities today.

For the sake of future generations, we need to take immediate and forceful action to deal with Ontario's massive deficit. And of course, to cut the deficit we will need to cut government waste, and that includes cutting the wasteful practices so prevalent in our education system. Ontario is going to have to take drastic action lest it go the way of Greece.

Ontario high school students are being disproportionately affected by the conflict between the Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation (OSSTF) and the provincial government. What is most worrying about the conflict between the Ontario teacher's union and the government is the way in which students are being used as pawns by the OSSTF to advance and promote a political message. Students' anger over the loss of extracurricular activities should not be directed towards the government.

Some unions have engaged in strike action that has closed schools, restricted learning for students and created an unstable learning environment. It has been stressful and chaotic for many students and parents. Then those same union leaders asked the government not to move ahead with collective agreements, yet they had no other solutions to offer -- except more disruption. That's why, on my advice, the Lieutenant Governor in Council has put in place collective agreements for all school boards and unions that were unable to deliver ratified and approved collective agreements by the deadline.

TORONTO - Ontario should produce fewer teachers, forcing existing ones to teach bigger classes and retire later, Don Drummond recommended Wednesday in...