Ministry of Education (Ontario)

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.

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
Employees1,700+[1]
Annual budget$34.5 billion (2022–2023 fiscal year)[2]
Minister responsible
Websitewww.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/

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 Stephen Lecce. 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
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

Hall-Dennis Report, 1968

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

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
Portrait Name Term of office Tenure Political party
(Ministry)		 Note
Adam CrooksFebruary 19, 1876November 23, 18837 years, 277 days Liberal
(Mowat)
George RossNovember 23, 1883July 21, 189615 years, 332 days
July 21, 1896October 21, 1899 Liberal
(Hardy)
Richard HarcourtOctober 21, 1899February 8, 19055 years, 110 days Liberal
(Ross)
Robert PyneFebruary 8, 1905September 25, 191413 years, 104 days Conservative
(Whitney)
September 25, 1914May 23, 1918 Conservative
(Hearst)
Henry John CodyMay 23, 1918November 14, 19191 year, 175 days
Robert GrantNovember 14, 1919November 16, 19234 years, 2 days United Farmers
(Drury)
Howard FergusonJuly 16, 1923December 15, 19307 years, 152 days Conservative
(Ferguson)		 while Premier
George HenryDecember 15, 1930July 10, 19343 years, 207 days Conservative
(Henry)		 while Premier
Leonard SimpsonJuly 10, 1934August 18, 19406 years, 39 days Liberal
(Hepburn)
Duncan McArthurAugust 22, 1940October 21, 19428 years, 58 days
October 21, 1942May 18, 1943 Liberal
(Conant)
May 18, 1943July 20, 1943 Liberal
(Nixon)
George DrewAugust 17, 1943October 19, 19485 years, 63 days PC
(Drew)		 while Premier
Dana PorterOctober 19, 1948May 4, 19492 years, 348 days PC
(Kennedy)
May 4, 1949October 2, 1951 PC
(Frost)
William DunlopOctober 2, 1951December 17, 19598 years, 76 days
John RobartsDecember 17, 1959November 8, 19612 years, 312 days
November 8, 1961October 25, 1962 PC
(Robarts)		 while Premier
Bill DavisOctober 25, 1962March 1, 19718 years, 127 days
Robert WelchMarch 1, 1971February 2, 1972338 days PC
(Davis)
Thomas WellsFebruary 2, 1972August 18, 19786 years, 197 days
Bette StephensonAugust 18, 1978February 8, 19856 years, 174 days
Keith NortonFebruary 8, 1985May 17, 198598 days PC
(Miller)
Larry GrossmanMay 17, 1985June 26, 198540 days
Sean ConwayJune 26, 1985September 29, 19872 years, 95 days
(first instance)		 Liberal
(Peterson)
Christopher WardSeptember 29, 1987August 2, 19891 year, 307 days
Sean ConwayAugust 2, 1989October 1, 19901 year, 60 days
(second instance)
3 year, 155 days in total
Marion BoydOctober 1, 1990October 15, 19911 year, 14 days NDP
(Rae)
Tony SilipoOctober 15, 1991February 3, 19931 year, 111 days
Dave CookeFebruary 3, 1993June 26, 19952 years, 143 daystitled Minister of Education and Training
John SnobelenJune 26, 1995October 10, 19972 years, 106 days PC
(Harris)
David JohnsonOctober 10, 1997June 17, 19991 year, 250 days
Janet EckerJune 17, 1999April 14, 20022 years, 301 days
Elizabeth WitmerApril 15, 2002October 22, 20031 year, 190 days PC
(Eves)
Gerard KennedyOctober 23, 2003April 5, 20062 years, 164 days Liberal
(McGuinty)
Sandra PupatelloApril 5, 2006September 18, 2006166 days
Kathleen WynneSeptember 18, 2006January 18, 20103 years, 122 days
Leona DombrowskyJanuary 18, 2010October 20, 20111 year, 275 days
Laurel BrotenOctober 20, 2011February 11, 20131 year, 114 days
Liz SandalsFebruary 11, 2013June 13, 20163 years, 123 days Liberal
(Wynne)
Mitzie HunterJune 13, 2016January 17, 20181 year, 218 daysIndira Naidoo-Harris served as Associate Minister of Education (Early Years and Child Care) from August 24, 2016 to January 17, 2017.
Indira Naidoo-HarrisJanuary 17, 2018June 29, 2018163 days
Lisa ThompsonJune 29, 2018June 20, 2019356 days PC
(Ford)
Stephen LecceJune 20, 2019present4 years, 127 days

Approach to discipline

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

[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

References
  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. 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. 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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