Education Act
R.R.O. 1990, REGULATION 304
Amended to O. Reg. 91/98
SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR
Historical version for the period September 1, 1998 to July 18, 2006.
This is the English version of a bilingual regulation.
1. (1) In this Regulation,
“instructional day” means a school day that is designated as an instructional day on a school calendar and upon which day an instructional program that may include examinations is provided for each pupil whose program is governed by such calendar; (“journée d’enseignement”)
“professional activity” includes evaluation of the progress of pupils, consultation with parents, the counselling of pupils, curriculum and program evaluation and development, professional development of teachers and attendance at educational conferences; (“activité de perfectionnement professionnel”)
“professional activity day” means a school day that is designated as a day for professional activities on a school calendar; (“journée pédagogique”)
“school day” means a day that is within a school year and is not a school holiday; (“jour de classe”)
“school year” means the period prescribed as such by or approved as such under this Regulation. (“année scolaire”)
(2) A board may designate half a school day an instructional program and the remainder of the day for professional activities, but such a day constitutes a half-day in determining the number of instructional days in the school year. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 304, s. 1.
2. (1) Subject to section 5, the school year shall commence on or after the 1st day of September and end on or before the 30th day of June. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 304, s. 2 (1).
(2) Revoked: O. Reg. 91/98, s. 2 (2).
(3) Revoked: O. Reg. 91/98, s. 2 (4).
(3.1) Subject to section 5, every school year after the 1997-1998 school year shall include a minimum of 194 school days of which up to 4 days may be designated by the board as professional activity days and the remaining school days shall be instructional days. O. Reg. 91/98, s. 2 (5).
(4) Subject to section 5, the following are school holidays:
1. Every Saturday and Sunday.
2. When the school is open during July, Canada Day.
3. Labour Day.
4. A day appointed by the Governor General or the Lieutenant Governor as a public holiday or for Thanksgiving.
5. A Christmas vacation consisting of fourteen consecutive days commencing on the Monday next following the Friday preceding the 21st day of December, but when the 21st day of December is a Thursday or a Friday, commencing on the Monday next following.
6. Five consecutive days commencing on the Monday next following the Friday preceding the 14th day of March.
7. Good Friday.
8. Easter Monday.
9. Victoria Day. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 304, s. 2 (4).
3. (1) Revoked: O. Reg. 91/98, s. 3 (2).
(2) Revoked: O. Reg. 91/98, s. 3 (4).
(3) Where a school has a policy of granting exemptions to pupils from the writing of examinations, such exemptions may be granted only from the final examinations in a course and only where at least one other set of examinations has been held. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 304, s. 3 (3).
(3.1) Withrespect to every school year after the 1997-1998 school year, a board may designate up to ten instructional days as examination days. O. Reg. 91/98, s. 3 (5).
(4) The teaching staff shall be in school during regular school hours on examination days and accessible to pupils, unless the board directs otherwise. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 304, s. 3 (4).
4. (1) In each year every board shall, except in respect of a school or class for which the board has submitted a proposed school calendar under section 5, prepare, adopt and submit to the Minister on or before the 1st day of May in respect of the school year next following, the school calendar or school calendars to be followed in the schools under its jurisdiction, and each such school calendar shall,
(a) state the school or schools in which the calendar is to be followed;
(b) conform to section 2; and
(c) identify each day of the school year as an instructional day, a professional activity day or a school holiday.
(2) In preparing a school calendar under subsection (1), the board shall ensure that some of the professional activity days are designated for the purposes of curriculum development, implementation and review.
(3) A school calendar submitted under subsection (1) shall be accompanied by a general outline of the activities to be conducted on the professional activity days identified on the calendar. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 304, s. 4.
5. (1) For one or more schools under its jurisdiction a board may designate a school year and school holidays that are different from those prescribed in section 2 and, where a board does so, the board shall submit to the Minister on or before the first day of March a proposed school calendar for the school year next following in respect of such school or schools, identifying thereon each day of the school year as an instructional day, a professional activity day or a school holiday, and the board may, upon approval thereof by the Minister, implement such school calendar.
(2) Where the Minister informs a board that he or she does not approve the school calendar submitted under subsection (1), the board may amend its proposed school calendar and submit to the Minister a revised school calendar and, upon approval thereof by the Minister, the board may implement the revised school calendar.
(3) Where a board has submitted a proposed school calendar under subsection (1) and the Minister has not approved on or before the 15th day of April such calendar or a revision thereof submitted under subsection (2), the board shall, on or before the 1st day of May, prepare, adopt and submit to the Minister a school calendar in accordance with section 4. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 304, s. 5.
6. (1) Where in the opinion of the board it is desirable to alter the date of a professional activity day or an examination day on a school calendar that has been submitted under section 4 or subsection 5 (3) or approved and implemented under subsection 5 (1) or (2), the board may alter the school calendar.
(2) Where, the board alters a school calendar under subsection (1), the board shall notify the parents concerned and the Minister of the altered date as far in advance as possible.
(3) The prior approval of the Minister is required for changes other than to the date of a professional activity day or an examination day.
(4) Where,
(a) a school or class is closed for a temporary period because of failure of transportation arrangements, inclement weather, fire, flood, a breakdown of the school heating plant or a similar emergency, or a school is closed under the Health Protection and Promotion Act or the Education Act; and
(b) the school calendar is not altered under subsection (1),
the day on which the school or class is closed remains an instructional day or a professional activity day, as the case may be, as designated on the school calendar applicable to such school or class. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 304, s. 6.
7. (1) Every board shall publish annually its school calendar or school calendars and ensure that copies thereof are available at the beginning of the school year for the information of parents and pupils.
(2) A school calendar or school calendars published under subsection (1) shall, in addition to the information required to be listed under subsection 4 (1), indicate in a general manner the activities to be conducted on professional activity days. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 304, s. 7.
8. In each year, every board shall undertake an annual evaluation of the activities of the professional activity days of the previous year and retain such evaluations on file. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 304, s. 8.
9. (1) A Remembrance Day service shall be held in every school on the 11th day of November or, when the 11th day of November is a Saturday or a Sunday, on the Friday preceding the 11th day of November.
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply where the school participates in a service of remembrance at a cenotaph or other location in the community. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 304, s. 9.
