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Ministry of Education (Ontario)

Coordinates: 43°39′48.11″N 79°23′15.5″W / 43.6633639°N 79.387639°W / 43.6633639; -79.387639
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Ministry of Education
Ministère de l'Éducation (French)
Ministry overview
Formed1876 (as Department of Education)
1999 (in current form)
Preceding agencies
  • Department of Public Instruction (1850–1876)
  • Ministry of Education and Training (1993–1999)
JurisdictionGovernment of Ontario
HeadquartersMowat Block, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
43°39′48.11″N 79°23′15.5″W / 43.6633639°N 79.387639°W / 43.6633639; -79.387639
Employees1,700+[1]
Annual budget$34.5 billion (2022–2023 fiscal year)[2]
Minister responsible
Websitewww.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/

The Ministry of Education is the ministry of the Government of Ontario responsible for government policy, funding, curriculum planning and direction in all levels of public education, including elementary and secondary schools.

The ministry is responsible for curriculum and guidelines for all officially recognized elementary and secondary schools in the province and some outside the province. The ministry is also responsible for public and separate school boards across Ontario, but are not involved in the day-to-day operations.

The current minister of education is Todd Smith. A number of ministers of education have gone on to become premier of Ontario, including Arthur Sturgis Hardy, George Ross, George Drew, John Robarts, Bill Davis, and Kathleen Wynne.

History

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The Ministry of Education is headquartered at Mowat Block (left building)

Prior to Confederation, the supervision of the education system and the development of education policy of Canada West were the responsibilities of the Department of Public Instruction. Founded in 1850, the department was headed by the chief superintendent of education, Egerton Ryerson, and reported to the Executive Council and the Legislative Assembly

In February 1876, the Department of Public Instruction was replaced by the Department of Education. The new department was presided over by the minister of education who was assigned the powers formerly held by the chief superintendent of education.

Responsibilities for post-secondary education were part of the department's portfolio prior to 1964 when the Department of University Affairs was created. The Department of Education continued to be responsible for post-secondary education in applied arts and technology until 1971 when the responsibility was transferred to the renamed Department of Colleges and Universities.

In 1972, the Department of Education was renamed the Ministry of Education. The ministry again oversaw post-secondary education between 1993 and 1999.

Reports

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Hall-Dennis Report, 1968

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The Hall-Dennis Report, officially titled Living and Learning, called for broad reforms to Ontario education, to empower teachers and the larger community, and put students' needs and dignity at the centre of education.[3]

Fullan Report, 2013

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The Fullan Report, officially titled Great to Excellent, calls for a focus on the 6 C's: Character, Citizenship, Communication, Critical thinking and problem solving, Collaboration and teamwork, and Creativity and imagination. The report also calls for innovation in how these areas are learned.[4]

List of ministers of education

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Portrait Name Term of office Tenure Political party
(Ministry)
Note
Adam Crooks February 19, 1876 November 23, 1883 7 years, 277 days Liberal
(Mowat)
George Ross November 23, 1883 July 21, 1896 15 years, 332 days
July 21, 1896 October 21, 1899 Liberal
(Hardy)
Richard Harcourt October 21, 1899 February 8, 1905 5 years, 110 days Liberal
(Ross)
Robert Pyne February 8, 1905 September 25, 1914 13 years, 104 days Conservative
(Whitney)
September 25, 1914 May 23, 1918 Conservative
(Hearst)
Henry John Cody May 23, 1918 November 14, 1919 1 year, 175 days
Robert Grant November 14, 1919 November 16, 1923 4 years, 2 days United Farmers
(Drury)
Howard Ferguson July 16, 1923 December 15, 1930 7 years, 152 days Conservative
(Ferguson)
while Premier
George Henry December 15, 1930 July 10, 1934 3 years, 207 days Conservative
(Henry)
while Premier
Leonard Simpson July 10, 1934 August 18, 1940 6 years, 39 days Liberal
(Hepburn)
Duncan McArthur August 22, 1940 October 21, 1942 8 years, 58 days
October 21, 1942 May 18, 1943 Liberal
(Conant)
May 18, 1943 July 20, 1943 Liberal
(Nixon)
George Drew August 17, 1943 October 19, 1948 5 years, 63 days PC
(Drew)
while Premier
Dana Porter October 19, 1948 May 4, 1949 2 years, 348 days PC
(Kennedy)
May 4, 1949 October 2, 1951 PC
(Frost)
William Dunlop October 2, 1951 December 17, 1959 8 years, 76 days
John Robarts December 17, 1959 November 8, 1961 2 years, 312 days
November 8, 1961 October 25, 1962 PC
(Robarts)
while Premier
Bill Davis October 25, 1962 March 1, 1971 8 years, 127 days
Robert Welch March 1, 1971 February 2, 1972 338 days PC
(Davis)
Thomas Wells February 2, 1972 August 18, 1978 6 years, 197 days
Bette Stephenson August 18, 1978 February 8, 1985 6 years, 174 days
Keith Norton February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 98 days PC
(Miller)
Larry Grossman May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985 40 days
Sean Conway June 26, 1985 September 29, 1987 2 years, 95 days
(first instance)
Liberal
(Peterson)
Christopher Ward September 29, 1987 August 2, 1989 1 year, 307 days
Sean Conway August 2, 1989 October 1, 1990 1 year, 60 days
(second instance)
3 year, 155 days in total
Marion Boyd October 1, 1990 October 15, 1991 1 year, 14 days NDP
(Rae)
Tony Silipo October 15, 1991 February 3, 1993 1 year, 111 days
Dave Cooke February 3, 1993 June 26, 1995 2 years, 143 days titled Minister of Education and Training
John Snobelen June 26, 1995 October 10, 1997 2 years, 106 days PC
(Harris)
David Johnson October 10, 1997 June 17, 1999 1 year, 250 days
Janet Ecker June 17, 1999 April 14, 2002 2 years, 301 days
Elizabeth Witmer April 15, 2002 October 22, 2003 1 year, 190 days PC
(Eves)
Gerard Kennedy October 23, 2003 April 5, 2006 2 years, 164 days Liberal
(McGuinty)
Sandra Pupatello April 5, 2006 September 18, 2006 166 days
Kathleen Wynne September 18, 2006 January 18, 2010 3 years, 122 days
Leona Dombrowsky January 18, 2010 October 20, 2011 1 year, 275 days
Laurel Broten October 20, 2011 February 11, 2013 1 year, 114 days
Liz Sandals February 11, 2013 June 13, 2016 3 years, 123 days Liberal
(Wynne)
Mitzie Hunter June 13, 2016 January 17, 2018 1 year, 218 days Indira Naidoo-Harris served as Associate Minister of Education (Early Years and Child Care) from August 24, 2016 to January 17, 2017.
Indira Naidoo-Harris January 17, 2018 June 29, 2018 163 days
Lisa Thompson June 29, 2018 June 20, 2019 356 days PC
(Ford)
Stephen Lecce June 20, 2019 June 6, 2024 4 years, 352 days
Todd Smith June 6, 2024 present 48 days

Approach to discipline

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Ontario public schools use progressive discipline. Discipline is corrective and supportive rather than punitive, with a focus on prevention and early intervention. It is a whole-school, systemic approach, engaging students, families and the larger community, as well as classes, schools and boards. Schools are to recognize and respect the diversity of parent communities, and partner with them accordingly. Students are surveyed at least every two years about their experience of the school climate.[5][6]

"For students with special education needs, interventions, supports, and consequences must be consistent with the student’s strengths and needs".[7]

While the school principal is responsible for discipline, all board employees who come into contact with students are responsible for stepping in if inappropriate behaviour occurs. The principal may also delegate powers and duties related to discipline.[8]

Ministry agencies

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[9]

  • Association Des Enseignants Franco-Ontariens (AEFO) Employee Life and Health Trust
  • Council of the College of Early Childhood Educators
  • Council of The Ontario College of Teachers
  • Cupe Education Workers' Benefits Trust
  • Education Quality and Accountability Office
  • Education Relations Commission
  • Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) Employee Life and Health Trust
  • Languages of Instruction Commission of Ontario
  • Ministers' Advisory Council On Special Education
  • Ontario Educational Communications Authority (TVO)
  • Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA) Employee Life and Health Trust
  • TFO
  • Ontario Non-Union Teachers' Trust
  • Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board
  • OSSTF Employee Life and Health Trust
  • Provincial Schools Authority

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Who We Are".
  2. ^ Doug Ford’s spending spree runs deficit to $5.9 billion https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/doug-ford-s-spending-spree-runs-deficit-to-5-9-billion/article_31391fb3-8b8c-5047-b7e2-8e4d2e50f74d.html Doug Ford’s spending spree runs deficit to $5.9 billion. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ^ Hall-Dennis Report
  4. ^ "Great to Excellent: Launching the Next Stage of Ontario's Education Agenda" (PDF). Ministry of Education. Jan 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 22, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
  5. ^ "Policy/Program Memorandum No. 145" (PDF). Ministry of Education. Dec 5, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 9, 2011. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
  6. ^ Safe Schools: Progressive Discipline - An explanation of the policy on the Ministry website
  7. ^ Safe Schools: Progressive Discipline, p3
  8. ^ Safe Schools: Progressive Discipline, p7, p15
  9. ^ "Agencies and current appointees - Public Appointments Secretariat".
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