CTF/FCE Pre-Budget Submission in Advance of the 2025 Budget
Written Brief to the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Finance – August 1, 2025
The Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF/FCE) is a national alliance of provincial and territorial teachers’ organizations that collectively represent over 370,000 public school teachers and education workers across Canada. The CTF/FCE promotes inclusive and high-quality public education. We uphold teaching as a profession and advocate for adequate resourcing, labour rights, and social justice across Canada and around the world.
Public education is the cornerstone of both a strong economy and a thriving democracy. A well-funded and equitable public education system ensures that all young people, regardless of background, are equipped with the skills and critical thinking required to participate fully in civic life and the modern economy. The actions of the federal government have wide-ranging impact and influence on both the public good and public education. Investing in public education yields long-term economic benefits, including higher employment rates, increased productivity, and scientific and social innovation.
Additionally, education fosters engaged and informed citizens who can meaningfully participate in the democratic process and contribute to social cohesion.
The public good, including healthy communities, safe societies, and shared prosperity, relies on equitable access to quality public education. Strengthening Canada’s public education system must be a top priority for any government seeking to build a more resilient, inclusive, and forward-thinking nation.
Recommendations
- Recommendation 1: Make permanent the National School Food Program and provide funding to research the Program’s impact
- Recommendation 2: Invest in transformative mental health support for Canadians with particular focus on school-based resources
- Recommendation 3: Maintain and increase Canada’s Official Development Assistance with targeted funding to support global access to education
- Recommendation 4: Implement the Budget 2024 commitment of loan forgiveness for teachers and early childhood educators working in rural and remote communities
Recommendation 1: Make permanent the National School Food Program and provide funding to research the Program’s impact
In Budget 2024, the federal government made a landmark commitment to roll out a National School Food Program, supported by a new National School Food Policy and agreements with provinces and territories. The CTF/FCE applauds this progress, recognizing school food programs as essential for student well-being, educational and social equity, and affordability for families.
We acknowledge that the National School Food Program serves to address socio-economic gaps. According to a study by the University of Toronto published in 2022, one in four children in Canada live in food insecure households. But further to the need for the program, the notion of a National School Food Program is widely supported by a vast majority of Canadians. In polling conducted by Abacus Data on behalf of the CTF/FCE, when asked, 80% of respondents supported “a publicly funded universal school food program which provides all K-12 students with access to healthy food at school” (Abacus Data, January 2024).
As agreements are implemented across the country, we urge the federal government to ensure sustained and targeted funding to meet growing demand, regional needs, and inflationary pressures through passing legislation that makes this life-changing program permanent. This program helps students learn better, reduces food insecurity, and supports working families – making it a social and economic imperative.
We call on the federal government to:
- make the National School Food Program permanent through legislation in Budget 2025, maintaining the $1 billion over five years funding and the School Food Infrastructure Fund announced in Budget 2024;
- establish mechanisms to ensure funds are used equitably across jurisdictions and school types and work collaboratively with provinces, territories, and Indigenous communities to ensure culturally appropriate and nutritious food access for all children in K-12 public schools; and
- starting in Budget 2026, provide $500,000 annually to the National School Food Program Research Partnership, a group of 30+ Canada-wide academics, community partners, and the federal government who have developed a comprehensive, implementation-ready longitudinal research plan for monitoring and evaluating the National School Food Program.
Recommendation 2: Invest in transformative mental health support for Canadians with particular focus on school-based resources
Mental health continues to be a defining challenge in Canada’s education systems and Canadian schools are a microcosm of society. Students, teachers, and education workers are experiencing elevated levels of burnout, stress, and trauma, fuelled by pandemic aftershocks, rising workloads, inadequate supports, and broader social crises such as homelessness, addictions, and poverty. In a study of over 5,000 education professionals across Canada, 72% of educators describe their workload demands as unmanageable and 80% reported they are somewhat-to-barely coping with the stresses of daily teaching. At the same time, youth are facing deteriorating mental health at unprecedented rates. Statistics Canada and the Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth reported that “among the 88% of youth who rated their mental health as ‘good’, ‘very good’, or ‘excellent’ in 2019, about one in five (21%) reported a decline to ‘fair’ or ‘poor’ by 2023”. These challenges faced in school communities are reflective of challenges faced by Canadians writ large.
The CTF/FCE supports the Government of Canada’s creation of the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. However, urgent investment is needed to move from intent to impact.
We call on the federal government to:
- introduce dedicated funding of $4.5 billion over five years through the Canada Mental Health Transfer to provinces and territories, with accountability mechanisms to ensure funding reaches schools and communities, where educators and children can access resources directly;
- specify funding allocation within the Canada Mental Health Transfer as funding for school-based mental health services, including access to psychologists, social workers, and mental health programming; and
- recognize the mental health needs of teachers and education workers, with supports tailored to the realities within these professions.
Addressing mental health is foundational to improving the well-being of Canadians, bolstering the health of our education system, and ensuring students and teachers can thrive in their learning and working environments. Students and educators going without access to mental health supports will lead to poorer educational outcomes which will ultimately be a detriment to the academic, social, and economic viability of the nation.
Recommendation 3: Maintain and increase Canada’s Official Development Assistance with targeted funding to support global access to education
As Canada continues to position itself as a global leader, supporting public education systems in the Global South reflects our international values and strategic interests. Investment in public education abroad enhances global stability, economic development, gender equality, and democratic participation, all key to long-term peace and prosperity. The CTF/FCE is a proud member of the Canadian International Education Policy Working Group and echoes their calls for funding.
We call on the federal government to:
- safeguard and protect Canada’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) at no less than $10.6 billion in the 2025-2026 federal budget;
- earmark part of Canada’s ODA commitments with the following specificities: $60 million per year for the next five years to the Global Partnership for Education; $22 million per year for the next five years to Education Cannot Wait; $130 million per year for the next five years to Canadian and bilateral partners focused on increasing access to at least 12 years of quality and inclusive public education for everyone; and
- host a strategic high-level international event in Canada before March 31, 2026, to focus on global policies and solutions that ensure and accelerate access to quality and inclusive public education in these new challenging and current times (e.g. curriculum, teacher training, teacher safety and welfare, systems strengthening).
This is not only an expression of Canada’s global responsibility – it is a strategic investment in building shared prosperity and strengthening Canada’s leadership role in a rapidly changing world.
Recommendation 4: Implement the Budget 2024 commitment of loan forgiveness for teachers and early childhood educators working in rural and remote communities
The CTF/FCE strongly supports the federal government’s stated commitment to expand the Canada Student Loan Forgiveness Program to include teachers and early childhood educators working in rural and remote areas. This is a critical strategy to address chronic shortages in underserved communities and attract and retain skilled educators across Canada.
We call on the federal government to:
- move forward with implementation in Budget 2025 and ensure educators are eligible for loan forgiveness levels equivalent to nurses (up to $30,000) by November 1, 2025; and
- finalize and expand the definition of “rural and remote” to include all communities with 30,000 people or less, ensuring small- and medium-sized towns benefit by November 1, 2025.
Supporting this program will help strengthen non-urban regions, notably those communities in the far North, and enhance access to public education across the country, further supporting balanced economic development and social equity.
Conclusion
Investing in public education is a nation-building act. It is central to economic growth, community development, public health, and the health of our democracy. The Canadian Teachers’ Federation urges the federal government to make Budget 2025 a budget for education, equity, and the public good. These recommendations are not simply expenditures – they are long-term investments in Canada’s future.
About the CTF/FCE
Founded in 1920, the CTF/FCE is a national alliance of provincial and territorial teachers’ organizations that represent over 370,000 teachers and education workers across Canada. The CTF/FCE is also an affiliate of Education International, which represents more than 33 million educators.
Media Contact
Nika Quintao, Director of Public Affairs (CTF/FCE)
[email protected]
Mobile: 613-688-4319
