The Ford government has reached an agreement with the Ontario Teachers’ Federation that will allow retirees to nearly double the number of days they can work in the public school system from 50 to 95 days until the end of June.

”Well before Omicron came to Ontario, school boards were reporting high rates of absenteeism from education staff,” Education Minister Stephen Lecce says in a statement.

”We need staff in order to continue providing live teacher-led remote learning and safely operate our schools when students return to in-person learning.”

Students have been learning remotely this month and the province has said they may return to classrooms next Monday, but it has not yet given a firm date.