Ministry of Education (Ontario)

Last updated
Ministry of Education
Ministère de l'Éducation (French)
MinistryofED.png
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)
Jurisdiction Government of Ontario
Headquarters Mowat Block, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
43°39′48.11″N79°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
Website ontario.ca/edu

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.

Contents

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 Jill Dunlop. 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) Ontario Government Buildings.JPG
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

PortraitNameTerm of officeTenurePolitical party
(Ministry)
Note
AdamCrooks23.jpg Adam Crooks [5] February 19, 1876November 23, 18837 years, 277 days Liberal
(Mowat)
Honourable GW Ross, Prime Minister for Ontario (HS85-10-12129).jpg George Ross [6] November 23, 1883July 21, 189615 years, 332 days
July 21, 1896October 21, 1899 Liberal
(Hardy)
Richard Harcourt.jpg Richard Harcourt [7] October 21, 1899February 8, 19055 years, 110 days Liberal
(Ross)
Robert Allan Pyne.png Robert Pyne February 8, 1905September 25, 191413 years, 104 days Conservative
(Whitney)
September 25, 1914May 23, 1918 Conservative
(Hearst)
Henry John Cody.jpg Henry John Cody May 23, 1918November 14, 19191 year, 175 days
Robert Grant November 14, 1919November 16, 19234 years, 2 days United Farmers
(Drury)
Howard Ferguson.jpg Howard Ferguson July 16, 1923December 15, 19307 years, 152 days Conservative
(Ferguson)
While Premier
George Stewart Henry.jpg George Henry December 15, 1930July 10, 19343 years, 207 days Conservative
(Henry)
While Premier
Leonard J. Simpson portrait.jpg Leonard Simpson July 10, 1934August 18, 19406 years, 39 days Liberal
(Hepburn)
Duncan McArthur portrait.jpg Duncan McArthur August 22, 1940October 21, 19428 years, 58 days
October 21, 1942May 18, 1943 Liberal
(Conant)
May 18, 1943July 20, 1943 Liberal
(Nixon)
GeorgeDrew.jpg George Drew August 17, 1943October 19, 19485 years, 63 days PC
(Drew)
While Premier
Dana Porter portrait 1948.jpg Dana Porter October 19, 1948May 4, 19492 years, 348 days PC
(Kennedy)
May 4, 1949October 2, 1951 PC
(Frost)
William Dunlop portrait.jpg William Dunlop October 2, 1951December 17, 19598 years, 76 days
John Robarts, Premier of Ontario.jpg John Robarts December 17, 1959November 8, 19612 years, 312 days
November 8, 1961October 25, 1962 PC
(Robarts)
While Premier
Honourable William G. Davis.jpg Bill Davis October 25, 1962March 1, 19718 years, 127 daysConcurrently Minister of College and Universities after May 14, 1964
Bob Welch portrait.jpg Robert Welch March 1, 1971February 2, 1972338 days PC
(Davis)
While Provincial Secretary of Social Development
Thomas Leonard Wells portrait.jpg Thomas Wells February 2, 1972August 18, 19786 years, 197 days
Bette Stephenson August 18, 1978February 8, 19856 years, 174 daysConcurrently Minister of Colleges and Universities
Keith Norton February 8, 1985May 17, 198598 days PC
(Miller)
Concurrently Minister of Colleges and Universities & Provincial Secretary of Social Development
Larry Grossman May 17, 1985June 26, 198540 daysConcurrently Minister of Colleges and Universities
Sean Conway June 26, 1985September 29, 19872 years, 95 days
(first instance)
Liberal
(Peterson)
Christopher Ward September 29, 1987August 2, 19891 year, 307 days
Sean Conway August 2, 1989October 1, 19901 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, 1990October 15, 19911 year, 14 days NDP
(Rae)
Tony Silipo October 15, 1991February 3, 19931 year, 111 days
Minister of Education and Training
Dave Cooke February 3, 1993June 26, 19952 years, 143 daysFor 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, 1995October 10, 19972 years, 106 days PC
(Harris)
David Johnson October 10, 1997June 17, 19991 year, 250 days
Minister of Education
Janet Ecker June 17, 1999April 14, 20022 years, 301 days
ElizabethWitmerOktimg294.jpg Elizabeth Witmer April 15, 2002October 22, 20031 year, 190 days PC
(Eves)
Gerard kennedy.jpg Gerard Kennedy October 23, 2003April 5, 20062 years, 164 days Liberal
(McGuinty)
Sandra Pupatello at the Toronto Board of Trade - 2013 (8393666736) (cropped).jpg Sandra Pupatello April 5, 2006September 18, 2006166 days
Hon Kathleen Wynne MPP Premier of Ontario.jpg Kathleen Wynne September 18, 2006January 18, 20103 years, 122 days
Leona Dombrowsky January 18, 2010October 20, 20111 year, 275 days
Laurel Broten October 20, 2011February 11, 20131 year, 114 days
Liz Sandals - 2017 ROMA Conference (32621842505) (cropped).jpg Liz Sandals February 11, 2013June 13, 20163 years, 123 days Liberal
(Wynne)
Scarborough-Guildwood MPP Mitzie Hunter - 2016 (28687660101) (cropped).jpg Mitzie Hunter June 13, 2016January 17, 20181 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 - 2017 (cropped).jpg Indira Naidoo-Harris January 17, 2018June 29, 2018163 days
Lisa Thompson.png Lisa Thompson June 29, 2018June 20, 2019356 days PC
(Ford)
Stephen Lecce (cropped).jpg Stephen Lecce June 20, 2019June 6, 20244 years, 352 days
SmithTodd.jpg Todd Smith June 6, 2024August 16, 202471 days
Jill Dunlop MS.png Jill Dunlop August 16, 2024present158 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. [8] [9]

"For students with special education needs, interventions, supports, and consequences must be consistent with the student’s strengths and needs". [10]

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. [11]

Ministry agencies

[12]

See also

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References

  1. "Who We Are".
  2. "Doug Ford's spending spree runs deficit to $5.9 billion".
  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. "Adam Crooks". Archives of Ontario. December 18, 2010. Archived from the original on December 18, 2010.
  6. 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.
  7. "Richard Harcourt" . Retrieved 2025-01-17.
  8. "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.
  9. Safe Schools: Progressive Discipline - An explanation of the policy on the Ministry website
  10. Safe Schools: Progressive Discipline, p3
  11. Safe Schools: Progressive Discipline, p7, p15
  12. "Agencies and current appointees - Public Appointments Secretariat".