LEARNING IN ONTARIO
Frequently Asked Questions for Parents
Elementary and Secondary Education Questions
- Which school can my child attend?
- Can a student from outside Canada attend school in Ontario?
- Who determines the school curriculum?
- To whom do I speak regarding an issue at my child's school?
- How do I make arrangements to teach my child at home?
- How do I find a private school for my child?
- How do I open a private elementary or secondary school?
- As an adult, how can I complete the requirements for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)?
- Can I take my General Educational Development (GED) test in Ontario?
- How do I get an official transcript from the secondary school I attended?
- How do I get an evaluation of elementary or secondary education documents from outside Ontario?
Questions about School Board Profiles
- What is the address for the Board Profiles web site?
- How often will the Board Profiles be updated?
- How can I provide input into what I’d like to see in the next generation of Board Profiles?
- Where can I get more information on my child’s school?
- What are the roles and responsibilities of some of the positions listed on the board directory?
- Can you tell me how my kid’s school compares to the provincial averages? (not just the boards)
- Where does this information come from?
- Who sets the school boards' budgets?
- Who sets school budgets?
Ministry-Related Questions
- Which legislation governs elementary and secondary education?
- What are the roles of the ministers, school boards, and teachers? And what about parents and students?
- How can I obtain a particular document, such as a curriculum guideline or a news release?
- What are the dates for Education Week?
- How can I send e-mail to ministry staff?
Elementary and Secondary Education Questions
Which school can my child attend?
Each district school board in Ontario administers "attendance areas" for its schools, and generally, children go to the school located in the attendance area in which they live. Parents wanting to send their children to a school outside their normal attendance area must make a request to the local board for permission to do so. Look in the white pages of your telephone directory to find the phone number of your local school board, or refer to the directory of District School Boards and School Authorities posted on this website.
Can a student from outside Canada attend school in Ontario?
Yes, but in order to study here, an international student requires a valid student visa. Contact the Canadian embassy, consulate, or high commission in your country to apply for one. You will also need a letter from the school in Ontario, stating that a space is available. To find out which schools have openings for foreign students, you should contact District School Boards and School Authorities (for publicly funded schools) or the private schools that interest you.
Who determines the school curriculum?
The Ministry of Education sets curriculum policy and defines what teachers are required to teach and students are expected to learn in each grade and subject. A consistent, province-wide curriculum is thereby ensured. However, teaching and assessment strategies are left to the professional judgement of teachers, enabling them to address individual student needs and deliver the curriculum in a context that is locally meaningful.
To whom do I speak regarding an issue at my child's school?
Whenever you have a suggestion or a concern about your child's school or education program, do not hesitate to speak with your child's teacher or the school principal. Teachers and principals are responsible for issues relating to their own schools, and welcome parental involvement. If you have further inquiries or concerns you should contact your District School Boards or School Authorities posted on this website.
How do I make arrangements to teach my child at home?
Every school board has staff responsible for liaison with parents or guardians who choose to teach their children at home. Parents or guardians can set up a home-based course of study with the assistance of their local school board, which must be satisfied that the course outline meets the requirements for an educational program. If your child is already in school, the principal of the school may also be willing to assist you, or recommend resources.
How do I find a private school for my child?
A directory of all the private elementary and secondary schools in Ontario is available on this website. The database indicates general information about each school, including religious affiliation and the availability of residential facilities. To find out about courses, tuition fees, and entrance requirements, please contact the school that interests you.
How do I open a private elementary or secondary school?
Operators of private schools in Ontario are required to notify the Ministry of Education annually of their intention to operate. To obtain the relevant information package, please contact the Public Inquiries Unit at 416-325-2929 or 1-800-387-5514.
As an adult, how can I complete the requirements for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)?
There are several ways to complete your secondary school diploma. For example, secondary school courses leading to diploma credits are offered by correspondence through the Ministry of Education's Independent Learning Centre. More information on this program is provided in the ILC Course Guide. If you would prefer to take courses in a classroom with other adults, contact your local school board to discuss adult credit programs. Evening classes, as well as English as a Second Language courses for those who would like to improve their English skills, are also available through most Ontario school boards.
Can I take my General Educational Development (GED) test in Ontario?
The General Educational Development test is an international secondary school equivalency examination program for adults. The GED tests cover what secondary school graduates are expected to know in mathematics, writing, science, literature, and the arts. Candidates who successfully complete the tests can earn the Ontario High School Equivalency Certificate. The GED tests are offered in English and French, and testing sites are located in Toronto, Mississauga, Sudbury, Ottawa, Thunder Bay, and Windsor. For detailed information, visit the General Educational Development page of the Independent Learning Centre.
How do I get an official transcript from the secondary school I attended?
If you left a publicly funded school within the past five years, you will most likely be able to obtain your secondary school transcript (the Ontario Student Transcript) from the last school you attended. However, some school boards maintain records in a central office, so you may be referred to the board to obtain your transcript. If you left a publicly funded school more than five years ago, or if the school you attended is no longer in operation, you should contact the school board, rather than the school.
Public school and separate school addresses can be found in the School and Board Finder, school board addresses in the list of District School Boards and School Authorities posted on this website, and private school addresses from the directory of Private Elementary and Secondary Schools.
If you left school before 1969, or if a private school you attended is no longer in operation, you should contact the Archives of Ontario for records information at:
Information Management Solutions
Archives of Ontario
77 Grenville Street, 9th Floor
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1B3
Telephone: (416) 325-2492
How do I get an evaluation of elementary or secondary education documents from outside Ontario?
In Ontario, individual elementary and secondary schools evaluate the academic records of all new students. If you or your children are new to Ontario, please take your education documents (translated into English or French, if necessary) directly to the school you or your children will be attending. The records will be used by the school to determine grade-level placement and the number of graduation credits still required.
Questions about School Board Profiles
What is the address for the Board Profiles web site?
The web site address is http://esip.edu.gov.on.ca/english/.
How often will the board profiles be updated?
Most of the information will be updated yearly, on the same schedule that the Ministry receives information from the school boards. If other information, such as the composition of the individual school boards changes, that will be updated monthly.
How can I provide input into what I'd like to see in the next generation of Board Profiles?
Please use the feedback link. The Ministry welcomes your suggestions and input.
Where can I get more information on my child's school?
The board office, listed in the profiles, can answer some questions, and can put you in touch with your child's school.
What are the roles and responsibilities of some of the positions listed on the board directory?
This information is posted on the Ministry website.
Can you tell me how my kid's school compares to the provincial averages? (not just the boards)
EQAO provides school results on province-wide tests to the boards. Schools and school boards create their own local reports to then release to parents and the public. Some schools and district school boards publish these comparisons on their Web sites. For further details, you should contact your school or district school board directly.
Where does this information come from?
All information on the Board Profile site is provided to the Ministry by schools and school boards as part of the reporting structure, which supports the provincial funding of our education system.
Who sets the school boards' budgets?
Funding to school boards is provided by the Ministry of Education according to the provincial funding formula which takes into account the many factors that make each school board unique.
This is the responsibility of the school boards. In recent years, increases to the funding formula have been made for many components of our publicly funded education system including increases in funding for Special Education and for the implementation of the new curriculum.
Ministry-Related Questions
Which legislation governs elementary and secondary education?
In Canada, education is a provincial responsibility. Elementary and secondary education in Ontario is governed by the Education Act and any amendments made to that Act. Ontario Statutes and Regulations are now available online. You can also obtain the Education Act on paper or CD-ROM from Publications Ontario, the Government of Ontario book store. In addition, provincial legislation may be accessed at all depository libraries, at many public libraries, and in the reference sections of those university libraries that are open to the public.
What are the roles of the ministers, school boards, and teachers? And what about parents and students?
See Who's Responsible for Your Child's Education? for a description of the responsibilities of the various participants in Ontario's elementary and secondary school system.
How can I obtain a particular document, such as a curriculum guideline or a news release?
Begin by checking the sections of this website containing ministry publications and news releases. If the document you're looking for is not posted there, you should contact Publications Ontario to determine whether printed copies are available for purchase. The address is:
Publications
Ontario
50 Grosvenor Street
Toronto, Ontario M7A 1N8
Telephone: (416) 326-5300
Toll free (in Ontario): 1-800-668-9938
Some documents may be out of print. If they are, you should be able to consult them at depository libraries or at a nearby university faculty of education.
What are the dates for Education Week?
Each year during Education Week, the education community conducts a wide variety of events and activities across the province, aimed at demonstrating education in action. The ministry has set dates for Education Week for the following years:
2005................May 2-6
2006................May 1-5
How can I send e-mail to ministry staff?
Most permanent employees at the ministries have Internet e-mail addresses that follow this format: firstname.lastname@edu.gov.on.ca. For general questions about education in Ontario, please use our online inquiry form to send a message to our Correspondence and Public Inquiries office.
If you still require additional information or need other personal assistance, please continue to the comment or inquiry form to submit an e-mail message. Note that the ministry's objective is to answer all e-mail inquiries within 15 business days. Most inquiries, however, are answered in less time.
