Sault MPP David Orazietti and Ontario Education Minister Liz Sandals address the media at the new St. Mary’s College on Tuesday.

Ontario Education Minister Liz Sandals was in Sault Ste. Marie on Tuesday. She joined Sault MPP David Orazietti at the new St. Mary’s College, where questions were asked about the state of the province’s 55 thousand unionized education workers. That group had voted overwhelmingly last weekend to take strike action, starting with a work-to-rule when the school year starts on Tuesday. But Sandals was cool in her response about that situation…

Sandals remains positive that two tentative deals with public high school and Catholic teachers will be ratified. She did not give any details about those contracts, adding she would respect the ratification process. She was also asked about threats of strike action from the province’s elementary teachers union, to ‘prepare for the fight of your lives’ several days ago. The ETFO did return to the bargaining table on Tuesday — Sandals was positive that this would be resolved…

Sandals was also asked about the implementation of the new sex education curriculum in Ontario’s schools. Sandals answered that the curriculum needed to be updated…

She credits work done with various groups in helping develop the new curriculum. Those groups include several school board health and physical education leads, as well as the Institute for Catholic Education.