Ontario's governing Liberals are repealing a controversial law that imposed contracts on public school teachers and limited their ability to strike.

They say the change will take effect Jan. 23.

Bill 115 sparked a major protest by unions that resulted in rotating strikes by elementary teachers and withdrawal of extracurricular activities by high school teachers.

The law, which passed in September, also alienated a powerful group that's helped the Liberals get re-elected over the last nine years.

The Liberals promised to repeal the legislation after imposing contracts on about 126,000 teachers and education workers across the province.

The government says the move is "promoting goodwill and stability" in Ontario schools by addressing a key concern of the two teachers' unions.

Several unions have already put the wheels in motion to fight the legislation in court, calling it unconstitutional and a violation of their right to strike.