Some school boards in Ontario are worried that the decision by high school teachers in 20 jurisdictions not to supervise students outside classroom and refusing to fill in for teachers who are absent, may pose a risk to students.

The Greater Essex County District School Board in the Windsor area has hired extra security staff to monitor hallways and cafeterias.

The Trillium Lakelands board which covers most of cottage country and the Upper Canada board (which is basically east of Kingston to Cornwall) both have given senior administrators authority to lock out high school teachers and close down schools if they feel student safety is at risk.

The director of labour relations for the Ontario Public School Boards' Association Geoff Williams, told the Globe, "Boards will go to great lengths to keep schools open because they don't want to interfere with student instruction. But if safety is clearly compromised, then they have no choice but to close a school,"

The Halton District School Board is reducing the number of field trips that are taken as well as professional development days so that they won't have to search for replacement teachers.

Ontario Education Minister Laurel Broten insists she's on top of things.

(files by D. Agar)