Ministry of Education (Ontario)
Provincial government department in Canada
Ministry of Education
Ministère de l'Éducation (French)
Arms of the Government of Ontario
Map
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
Headquarters315 Front Street West
14th Floor
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 0B8
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
Websiteontario.ca/edu

The Ministry of Education (French: Ministère de l'Éducation) 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 Paul Calandra.

A number of ministers of education have gone on to become premier of Ontario, including Arthur Sturgis Hardy, George Ross, John Robarts, Bill Davis, and Kathleen Wynne. Four premiers held the education portfolio themselves while premier. They were Howard Ferguson, George Henry, George Drew and John Robarts. All four of them served as their own education minister for the full duration of their premiership.

History

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.

In 1844, Governor General Sir Charles Metcalfe appointed Egerton Ryerson as the Chief Superintendent of Education for Upper Canada with a mandate to widen the reach of secular public schools. The Common School Act, 1846 prepared by Ryerson formally established the position along with a preliminary structure of a central education authority with a supervisory board of seven members. The act also mandated the used of common textbooks, teacher training, school inspectors, and local governance through elected school trustees.[3]

The 1846 act was followed by the Common School Act, 1850[4], which provided appropriation for the department to be headed by the chief superintendent and formalized a Council of Public Instruction. The department came to be known as the Department of Public Instruction. The act also enabled school tax to be levied on all property, provided for the free admission of all children to schools. It also included the controversial provision authoring the creation of separate schools for "Protestants, Roman Catholics, or coloured people" upon the application of twelve or more families.[5] Ryerson has long been an opponent to segregation in schools, saying at the time that that enshrining racial and religious bias into law would be "a disgrace to our Legislature", and attempted to force school boards establishing segregated schools to admit Black students, encouraging their families to mount lawsuits when they wouldn't.[6]

The 1850 legislation prescribed that the chief superintendent be responsible to a portfolio minister of the province. Ryerson was of the belief that educational issues should not be subject to politics, and he made his department a semi-autonomous agency with no ministerial head specified. Though formally responsible to the Executive Council, Ryerson established policy, sought political support for it inside and outside parliament throughout his time in office as a minister would.[7] Even after confederation, Ryerson's competence, strong will and long tenure deterred premiers of the new province from formally appointing an education minister before his retirement in 1876. In a letter commenting on Premier John S Macdonald's defeat and resignation, Prime Minister John A Macdonald wrote to John Carling, a minister in his cabinet, noted that he had pressed the premier to name an education minister and lamented that the premier took no steps towards doing so.[8]

In February 1876 upon Ryerson's retirement, Premier Oliver Mowat formally instituted the Department of Education, the first newly created ministerial portfolio in Ontario ministry (all existing portfolios at the time were named in the British North America Act) to assume the responsibility of the Department of Public Instruction and the authorities formerly held by the chief superintendent of education. Mowat named his Treasurer Adam Crooks, who served as vice-chancellor of the University of Toronto prior to his election, as its inaugural minister. Crooks was relieved of his treasury duty the following year to focus in the education portfolio.

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.[9]

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.[10]

Ministers

Portrait Name Term of office Tenure Political party
(Ministry) 		Note
Adam Crooks[11] February 19, 1876 November 23, 1883 7 years, 277 days Liberal
(Mowat)
George Ross[12] November 23, 1883 July 21, 1896 15 years, 332 days
July 21, 1896 October 21, 1899 Liberal
(Hardy)
Richard Harcourt[13] 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 Concurrently Minister of College and Universities after May 14, 1964
Robert Welch March 1, 1971 February 2, 1972 338 days PC
(Davis) 		While Provincial Secretary of Social Development
Thomas Wells February 2, 1972 August 18, 1978 6 years, 197 days
Bette Stephenson August 18, 1978 February 8, 1985 6 years, 174 days Concurrently Minister of Colleges and Universities
Keith Norton February 8, 1985 May 17, 1985 98 days PC
(Miller) 		Concurrently Minister of Colleges and Universities & Provincial Secretary of Social Development
Larry Grossman May 17, 1985 June 26, 1985 40 days Concurrently Minister of Colleges and Universities
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		 Concurrently Minister of Colleges and Universities & Minister of Skills Development
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
Minister of Education and Training
Dave Cooke February 3, 1993 June 26, 1995 2 years, 143 days For this period, there is no Minister of Colleges and Universities; Ministry of Education is responsible for all post secondary education, including skills 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
Minister of Education
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 August 16, 2024 71 days
Jill Dunlop August 16, 2024 March 19, 2025 215 days
Paul Calandra March 19, 2025 present 299 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.[14][15]

"For students with special education needs, interventions, supports, and consequences must be consistent with the student’s strengths and needs".[16]

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.[17]

Ministry agencies

[18]

  • 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". Toronto Star. 27 September 2023.
  3. ^ An Act for the better establishment and maintenance of Common Schools in Upper Canada, 9 Victoria 1846, c. 20
  4. ^ An Act for the better establishment and maintenance of Common Schools in Upper Canada, 13 & 149 Victoria 1850, c. 48
  5. ^ An Act for the better establishment and maintenance of Common Schools in Upper Canada, 13 & 149 Victoria 1850, c. 48, s. 19
  6. ^ McLaren, Kristin (May 2004). ""We had no desire to be set apart": Forced Segregation of Black Students in Canada West Public Schools and Myths of British Egalitarianism". Histoire Sociale - Social History. 37 (73): 27–50.
  7. ^ Gidney, R.D. "RYERSON, EGERTON (Adolphus Egerton)". Dictionary of Canadian Biography. University of Toronto/Université Laval. Retrieved 2025-11-28.
  8. ^ Hammond, Melvin Ormond (1917). "6". Canadian Confederation and Its Leaders. George H. Doran Company. p. 99-100. ISBN 978-1360631509. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  9. ^ Hall-Dennis Report
  10. ^ "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.
  11. ^ "Adam Crooks". Archives of Ontario. December 18, 2010. Archived from the original on December 18, 2010.
  12. ^ Penney Clark (2008). "'Reckless Extravagance and Utter Incompetence': George Ross and the Toronto Textbook Ring, 1883-1907". Papers of the Bibliographical Society of Canada. 46 (2): 185–236. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  13. ^ "Richard Harcourt". Retrieved 2025-01-17.
  14. ^ "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.
  15. ^ Safe Schools: Progressive Discipline - An explanation of the policy on the Ministry website
  16. ^ Safe Schools: Progressive Discipline, p3
  17. ^ Safe Schools: Progressive Discipline, p7, p15
  18. ^ "Agencies and current appointees - Public Appointments Secretariat".
  • Official website
  • Biography of the Minister of Education, 2004
  • Works by Ministry of Education at Project Gutenberg
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