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ARTICLE · 18 DECEMBER 2025

Arbitrator Rejects Union Challenge To Inclusive Education Class Sizes

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A significant labour relations decision has emerged for school boards operating inclusive education programs. In Avon Maitland District School Board v Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation...

CanadaLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Yola S. Ventresca
Yola S. Ventresca
Megan Peters
Megan Peters
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A significant labour relations decision has emerged for school boards operating inclusive education programs. In Avon Maitland District School Board v Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation, Arbitrator Robert Herman upheld a board's right to maintain standard class size limits in mainstream courses, even when enrolling students who may not achieve full course credit.

Transition from Segregated to Integrated Programming

For a number of years, the Avon Maitland District School Board (the Board) has been fundamentally restructuring its special education program delivery. In around 2012, the Board moved away from the traditional segregated classroom model governed by Ontario Regulation 298 to the Education Act. These "Self-Contained Classes" had operated under restrictive enrolment formulas for decades — e.g. a maximum of six students in a class for pupils with autism spectrum disorders, a maximum of 10 students in a class for pupils with

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