Published plans and annual reports 2024–2025: Ministry of Education

Ministry Overview

Ministry’s Vision

The Ministry of Education is responsible for delivering a world-class, high-quality publicly funded education system from Kindergarten to Grade 12, and for the oversight of Ontario’s child care and early years system. The ministry is committed to ensuring Ontario remains a leading education system, both in English and French, that focuses on foundational skills like reading, writing and math.

2024–25 Strategic Plan

Ministry Programs

Early Years and Child Care Programs

Ontario is committed to ensuring more children have access to a range of high-quality inclusive and affordable early years and child care programs. By providing more families with the support they need, we will help build a stronger economy into the future.

On March 28, 2022, Ontario and Canada signed a $13.2 billion agreement that will ensure that Ontario’s families benefit from a high-quality child care system that is accessible, affordable, inclusive, and sustainable. Under the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system, the government is moving toward reducing child care fees to an average of $10 a day per child under age six by March 2026. As of December 2023, thousands of Ontario families with children in CWELCC-enrolled child care programs are benefitting from fee reductions of an average of 50 per cent relative to 2020 levels, that will help keep their costs down.

In the upcoming year, the ministry will continue to work with municipalities and the sector to implement the CWELCC system with a focus on continuing to increase child care spaces for children under the age of six in the regions that need it most and work toward further reducing fees for Ontario families.

The ministry will also continue implementing the Child Care Workforce Strategy to support the recruitment and retention of qualified Registered Early Childhood Educators across the province, and work with the federal government to extend the CWELCC agreement.

Each year, the ministry’s Capital Priorities Grant Program provides funding for major school capital construction projects, including child care spaces in schools for children aged 0 to 3.8 years.

In addition to licensed child care, the ministry provides funding for more than 1,100 EarlyON Child and Family Centres in communities all across the province, which deliver free, high-quality programs for families and children from birth to six years old.

Kindergarten to Grade 12

The ministry oversees publicly funded elementary and secondary education and is responsible for developing curriculum, teaching and learning resources (including online learning courses and resources). The ministry also sets provincial standards and guidelines for assessment, evaluation and reporting. Additionally, the ministry develops and implements policies and programs that eliminate barriers to success and support students in their education and career/life planning, including job skills programs such as Dual Credit and Specialist High Skills Major. The ministry is focused on a back-to-basics approach and through strategic investments is supporting students success in core academic skills such as reading, writing and math. These efforts will help continue Ontario's progress in reading and mathematics in national and international Education Assessments.

The ministry provides policy and program direction, and financial support to district school boards, school authorities, and agencies.

Modernizing Curriculum

Building on modernized curriculum issued in prior years, in September 2024, students will learn from additional new and up-to-date curriculum, including a new de-streamed Grade 9 Exploring Canadian Geography course, new Grades 9 and 10 Business Studies courses, new Grades 9 and 10 Technological Education courses and a new Grade 9 English course for French-language schools. New mandatory learning on mental health literacy has been included in the Grade 10 Career Studies course. The ministry will continue to ensure students learn key financial literacy skills through the Grades 9 and 10 financial literacy modules.    

Ontario is ensuring our youngest learners are well prepared for success. Starting in September 2025, the Kindergarten curriculum will include new mandatory learning focused on early reading, math and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education.

Education Funding

To help increase transparency and accountability and increase parents’ confidence in the education system, the ministry has streamlined the province’s Core Education Funding formula, previously known as the Grants for Student Needs. The new formula makes it easier for parents to understand where and how Ontario is spending money on the publicly funded education system.

For the 2024–25 school year, the Core Education Funding is projected to be $28.6 billion, with the average per-student funding projected to be $13,852. School boards are also projected to receive $297.7 million for time-limited projects through Responsive Education Programs (REP), previously known as Priorities and Partnerships Funding for School Boards. In addition, third-party partners are projected to receive $105.1 million through Funding to External Partners (FEP), previously known as Priorities and Partnerships Funding for Third Parties. For the upcoming school year, the ministry will build on existing investments and continue modernizing curriculum to ensure students have strong foundational skills in reading, writing, math, and STEM.

Capital Programs

High-quality, modern school buildings and learning spaces are an essential part of Ontario’s education system. The ministry is committed to supporting healthy and safe learning environments that accommodate student needs.

The ministry introduced new measures to build schools faster to meet the needs of a growing population. The new measures will help speed up construction of schools through design standardization, reduce approval requirements, and ensure better use of current school capacity. This will ensure students have access to modern schools close to home including the capital projects selected through the 2023-24 Capital Priorities Program. The Ontario government is investing a historic $1.3 billion to support the construction and expansion of 60 schools across the province. For the first time in the province’s history, the government is more than doubling the funding commitment to build more schools and expansions, which will create 27,000 new student spaces and 1,700 child care spaces.

For the 2024–25 school year, the ministry will again invest $1.4 billion to maintain and improve the condition of existing schools across the province.

Preparing Students for the Jobs of the Future

To help ensure that students have the critical life and job skills they need to succeed for the jobs of tomorrow, starting with students entering Grade 9 in the 2024–25 school year, all high school students will be required to earn a Grade 9 or 10 Technological Education credit as part of their Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). This will ensure students get early exposure to technological education and the skilled trades in their education pathway. In addition, the ministry will continue to work with stakeholders to develop and implement job skills programs, like SHSM, Dual Credit, OYAP, and cooperative education, to provide opportunities for students to develop and acquire the skills and knowledge needed to participate in Ontario's labour market and the changing economy.

Further, the ministry is committed to equipping students with the skills they need for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The ministry is working to increase the number of students, including females, enrolled in elective courses that lead to preparedness for STEM success.

The ministry is providing funding for bursaries for students who are enrolled in a cooperative education (co-op) program and have financial and other barriers to completing secondary school, as well as students who are enrolled in a co-op program and have plans to pursue the skilled trades. As part of the 2022 Fall Economic Statement, the government committed an additional $4.8 million over two years, beginning in 2023-24, to expand the Dual Credit program. This expansion will enable an additional 2,200 students to participate in apprenticeship training, technological education-related, and early childhood education-related Dual Credit courses.

As part of the 2023 Ontario Budget: Building a Stronger Ontario, the government also committed to an additional $3.3 million over the next three years, beginning in 2023-24, to expand access to Dual Credit opportunities in health care related courses for an additional 1,400 secondary students.

The ministry issued Policy/Program Memorandum (PPM) 167 in February 2022, outlining a new graduation requirement that students must earn two online learning credits to obtain their OSSD. The PPM outlines implementation requirements and parent opt-out provisions. The first cohort of students impacted by this requirement will graduate in 2024. This graduation requirement will support the development of digital literacy and other important transferable skills that help prepare students for success after graduation and in all aspects of their lives, including entering postsecondary education and the workforce.

Mental Health Supports

For the 2024–25 school year, the ministry will provide close to $118 million in total mental health funding, an increase of almost 600 per cent since 2017-18. Approximately $87.2 million of that is through the Core Education Funding, that supports a variety of initiatives and staffing related to student mental health and wellness, including a mental health lead in every school board, frontline mental health workers in secondary schools, professional/paraprofessional staff (e.g., psychologists, social workers and child/youth workers), supporting professional learning and training on mental health, and working with community partners to ensure better access through early assessment, clear referral and care pathways between school and community.

Additionally, the mental health 2024–25 Responsive Education Programs and Funding for External Partners funding is intended to support the critical linkage between mental health and well-being and student success, and also provides students with physical health and safety supports. For 2024–25, through REP funding, school boards can expect to receive a total of $23.2 million, this includes $14 million that will provide students with mental health services over the summer months, and, through FEP funding, the government will allocate a total of $7.2 million to third parties.

The ministry has revised the Grade 10 Career Studies course to include additional mandatory learning on mental health literacy. To support the implementation of the revised curriculum, the ministry is introducing new modules on mental health literacy for Grade 10 students that are aligned with this new mental health learning. These modules will be adaptable for learning both online and in-person. They will build on the success of mental health literacy learning modules for students in Grades 7 and 8, which became mandatory in January 2024. The revised course will be taught starting September 2024 and will help students learn how to recognize signs of being overwhelmed or struggling, as well as where to find help locally when needed.

The ministry will also continue to work closely with the Ministry of Health and other external partners to ensure that all students and their families have access to mental health services. The ministry also funds School Mental Health Ontario, the ministry’s implementation partner for student mental health, to develop evidence-based and culturally-responsive mental health resources, programs, and training so there are consistent, high-quality supports across all school boards.

Equity and Inclusion

To further support an inclusive education system, the ministry has announced several curriculum updates, to be implemented in September 2025, to ensure all students see themselves reflected in the curriculum and have the opportunity to learn about diverse perspectives and experiences. These curriculum updates include mandatory learning about the significance of the Ukrainian Famine-Genocide of 1932-33, the Holocaust, and the history and contributions of Black Canadians in the Grade 10 Canadian History Course. The Grades 7 and 8 History curricula will also be revised to include new mandatory learning about Black Canadians. These changes complement new mandatory learning on the significance of the Holocaust included in Grade 6 Social Studies since the 2023-24 school year.

Together, these curriculum updates will strengthen students’ ongoing understanding of how to identify, respond to and change harmful assumptions and stereotypes, including antisemitism and other forms of racism.

Accountability and Transparency

The ministry continues the implementation of Bill 98, the Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act, 2023 to improve transparency and accountability for parents.

This upcoming year will see a clear and transparent process in place for evaluating and monitoring the performance of Directors of Education consistently across all school boards.

Performance will now be measured on a yearly basis based on a set of mandatory assessment criteria, along with any additional, locally focused criteria that boards identify with their Directors of Education based on the needs of their communities. There will be opportunities for parent members of each school council, board community partners, school board staff, trustees, and student trustees to provide input through a bi-annual 360 assessment that will inform the final appraisal of Directors. The new performance appraisal process will ensure that all Directors of Education are held accountable to students and parents. It will also support school boards to continue to deliver on the provincial student achievement priorities and improve student outcomes.

Further, the ministry has introduced provincial student achievement priorities that school boards are required to adopt into their multi-year plans. To further support parents and ensure boards are held accountable, school boards will now be required to post their student achievement plans online and these plans will begin to be published this June. These priorities will provide parents with a clear sense of how boards are meeting their children’s needs.

Alignment of Programs with the Government’s Priorities

The following chart outlines the key government priorities that the ministry directly supports through its range of services and supports.

Ministry Financial Information

The following chart depicts the ministry’s investment in 2024–25 to provide Ontarians with an excellent and accountable child care and elementary and secondary education, so their futures and that of the province will be characterized by continued prosperity, stability, and growth.

Chart: 2024–25 Ministry Expenditure^{footnote 1[1]} — Total $39,306($M)

Note: Numbers and percentages may not appear to add due to rounding.

Total Operating and Capital Summary by Vote

Total Operating and Capital Summary by Vote (Continued)

For additional financial information, see:

• Expenditure Estimates
• Public Accounts of Ontario: past editions
• 2024 Ontario Budget: Building a Better Ontario

Operational Enterprise Agencies

Ontario Educational Communications Authority

The Ontario Educational Communications Authority (TVO) is Ontario’s publicly funded English-language digital media and learning organization. TVO’s mandate includes the provision of strong and innovative supports, including curriculum-linked digital resources, for Ontario students. TVO provides these supports using both traditional television broadcasting and online technologies, such as distance education delivery through the Independent Learning Centre and digital learning resources for students, parents, and teachers through TVO Learn. In addition, TVO is supporting the modernization of online learning through the ongoing development of K-12 digital learning resources. TVO is governed by the Ontario Educational Communications Authority Act. Its broadcast licence is governed by the federal Broadcasting Act and CRTC licensing.

Office des télécommunications éducatives de langue française de l’Ontario

The Ontario French-language Educational Communications Authority (TFO) provides high-quality educational and cultural multimedia services and content to the 12 French-language district school boards, the Consortium Centre Jules-Léger, and the broader Franco-Ontarian community. The organization also provides French as a Second Language resources to Ontario’s 60 English-language district school boards. TFO’s programming, support services and resources contribute to meeting the ministry’s student success priorities. TFO focuses on French-language and culture initiatives that support the early years, literacy and numeracy, digital educational programming, and resources development, and the Politique d’aménagement linguistique (PAL).

Operational Service Agencies

Education Quality and Accountability Office

EQAO conducts large-scale census assessments of student achievement: Grade 3 and Grade 6 students in reading, writing and mathematics; Grade 9 students in Mathematics; and the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test/Test provincial de compétences linguistiques (OSSLT/TPCL). Typically administered in Grade 10, the OSSLT/TPCL is the primary means of satisfying the Ontario secondary school literacy graduation requirement. EQAO publishes annual results for each of its assessments in English and French and provides the education system with board, school, and individual student level results. EQAO also administers Ontario’s participation in national and international testing such as the Pan-Canadian Assessment Program (PCAP), the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). In 2019, the government introduced the Math Proficiency Test (MPT) as a new requirement for certification with the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) and the development, scoring and reporting of the MPT was added to the EQAO’s mandate. The MPT is part of the ministry’s commitment to support teachers in becoming better prepared to teach the fundamentals of mathematics and provide more confidence to parents that Ontario continues to have one of the best education systems in the world. The MPT requirement was paused in 2021, but the test will be reinstated in 2024–25.

Provincial Schools Authority

The Provincial Schools Authority (PSA) was established as an agency of the ministry in 1975 under the Provincial Schools Negotiations Act. The PSA is the employer of record for teachers employed in provincially operated schools. These employees are represented by the Provincial Schools Authority Teachers (PSAT), which is a district of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation. The PSA is also the employer of record for principals and vice principals in provincially operated schools. The principals and vice principals are not represented by a union and do not have a collective agreement. The PSA reviews and advises on the terms and conditions of employment for principals and vice-principals. The PSA also decides on leave applications, hears grievances, provides input to the settlement of grievances, and ratifies agreements reached between the parties at the central and local negotiations tables.

Advisory Agencies

Minister’s Advisory Council on Special Education

The Minister’s Advisory Council on Special Education advises the Minister on any matters related to the establishment and provision of special education programs and services for students with special education needs.

Ministry organization chart

• Minister, Stephen Lecce
  • Parliamentary Assistant, Billy Pang
  • Parliamentary Assistant, Natalie Pierre
  • Deputy Minister, Kate Manson-Smith
    • Executive Assistant, Anne Sealey
    • Director, Communications Branch, Ian Ross
    • Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy & Planning Division, Phil Graham
      • Executive Assistant, Lillian Lo
      • Director, Strategic Policy & Education Workforce Branch, Rupinder Johal
      • Director, Strategic Planning, Coordination & Intergovernmental Affairs Branch, Eric Ward
      • Director, Education Data Branch, Claire Corinthios
      • Director, Education Analytics Branch, Nam Bains
    • Assistant Deputy Minister, Education Labour & Finance Division, Andrew Davis
      • Executive Assistant, Melinda Broy
      • Director, Labour Relations Operations Branch, Matthew Beattie
      • Director, Labour Relations Operations (Bilingual) Branch, Heather Diggle
      • Executive Director, Education Finance Office, Doreen Lamarche
        • Director, Education Modelling and Forecasting Branch, Xiaofei Wang
        • Director, Financial Analysis & Accountability Branch, Andrew Yang
        • Director, Enrolment, Funding and Labour Policy Branch, Romina Di Pasquale
    • Assistant Deputy Minister, Capital & Business Support Division, Didem Proulx
      • Executive Assistant, Elena Wagner
      • Director, Capital Policy Branch, Andrea Dutton
      • Director, Capital Program Branch, Paul Bloye
      • Director, School Board Advanced Supports Branch, Mehul Mehta
      • Director, Business Operations Strategic Support Branch, Patrizia Del Riccio
    • Assistant Deputy Minister, Early Years & Child Care Division, Holly Moran
      • Executive Assistant, Robyn Trew
      • Director, Early Years Branch, Katie Williams
      • Director, Child Care Branch, Karen Puhlmann
      • Director, Funding Branch, Matthew DesRosiers
    • Assistant Deputy Minister, Indigenous Education & Well Being Division, Claudine Munroe
      • Executive Assistant, Olivia Marquis-Harvey
      • Director, Indigenous Education Office, Nick Bertrand
      • Director, Safe & Healthy Schools Branch, Patrick Byam
      • Director, Inclusive Education Priorities & Engagement Branch, Suzanne Gordon
    • Assistant Deputy Minister, Student Support & Field Services Division, Clayton La Touche
      • Executive Assistant, Shubhina Dayal
      • Director, Special Education / Success for All Branch, Charmaine Perera
      • Director, Mental Health Branch, Shirley Carder
      • Director, Field Services Branch [Regional Offices: Barrie; London; Ottawa; Sudbury-North Bay; Thunder Bay; and Toronto and Area], Andrew Locker
      • Executive Director, Provincial & Demonstration Schools Branch, Stephany Balogh
        • Director, Operations & Support Services Branch, Aaron Moffatt
    • Assistant Deputy Minister, Student Achievement Division, Yael Ginsler
      • Executive Assistant, Hannah McKibbon
      • Director, Curriculum Assessment & Student Success Policy Branch, Mishaal Surti
      • Director, Skills Development & Apprenticeship Branch, Dianne Oliphant
      • Director, Digital and Online Learning Branch, Bill Torrens
    • Assistant Deputy Minister, French Language Education Division, Didier Pomerleau
      • Executive Assistant, Alain Daoust
      • Director, French-Language Education, Policies and Programs Branch, Luc Davet
      • Director, French-Language Teaching & Learning Branch, Roxanne Hotte
    • Chief Administrative Officer/Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Management and Services Division, Louis Dimitracopoulos
      • Executive Assistant, Denise Vanek
      • Director, Strategic Human Resources Branch, Nadine Ramdial
      • Director, Corporate Coordination Branch, Vanessa Bennett
      • Director, Corporate Finance and Services Branch, Paul Cleaver
      • Director, Transfer Payment and Divisional Finance Branch, Mersad Fard
      • Director, Ontario Internal Audit Education Audit Service Team, Anne Piattella
      • Director, Legal Services Branch, Amyn Hadibhai
    • Chief Information Officer/Assistant Deputy Minister, Community Services Information & Information Technology Cluster, Rocco Passero
      • Executive Assistant, Marie Dearlove
      • Director, iACCESS Solutions Branch, Farshad Mahlooji
      • Director, Strategic Planning and Business Relationship Management Branch, Shulin Dave
      • Director, Data Collection and Decision Support Solutions Branch, Carm Scarfo
      • Director, Case and Grant Management Solutions Branch, Sanaul Haque
    • Assistant Deputy Minister, Education Equity Governance Secretariat, Rachel Osborne
      • Executive Assistant, Devraj Raj
      • Director, Education Equity and Board Governance Branch, Anusha Tikaram
  • Agencies, Boards, and Commissions
    • Advisory Council on Special Education
    • Education Quality and Accountability Office
    • Education Relations Commission
    • Languages of Instruction Commission of Ontario
    • Ontario Educational Communications Authority
    • Ontario French-Language Educational Communications Authority
    • Provincial Schools Authority

2023-24 Annual Report

Highlights of 2023-24 Achievements

Early Years and Child Care Programs

In 2022, Ontario and Canada signed a $13.2 billion agreement which will ensure that Ontario’s families benefit from a high-quality child care system that is accessible, affordable, inclusive and sustainable. In 2023-24, Ontario achieved key goals to support the implementation of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) system. This included the following:

Lowering fees for parents of children under age six

To ensure child care is more affordable for families, the ministry is lowering average fees for child aged 0 to 6 in CWELCC-participating licensed child care programs through a phased approach. Fee reductions began in spring 2022 as follows:

• Fee reduction of up to 25 per cent (to a minimum of $12 per day) retroactive to April 1, 2022
• Further fee reduction of an average of 50 per cent from 2020 levels, to support a provincial average of $23 per day, effective December 31, 2022
• $10 per day average child care fees by March 2026.

Increasing Child Care Spaces

To increase access, Ontario is committed to creating 86,000 new licensed child care spaces for children aged 0 to 5 years (above 2019 levels) by December 31, 2026. The province is working with service system managers to ensure affordable child care is available in the communities that need it most.

In May 2023, the Ministry of Education allocated more than 72,500 new child care spaces to service system managers for 2022-2026, under Ontario’s Directed Growth Plan. These additional spaces will be created over the coming years and will enable more families in Ontario to gain access to quality child care. 

Supporting the Early Years Workforce

In November 2023, the ministry announced a comprehensive strategy to boost the child care workforce and protect children.

Supported by funding through the CWELCC agreement, Ontario’s plan will deliver increased wages to Registered Early Childhood Educators (RECEs) and a multipronged strategy to recruit and retain qualified educators, including:

• Increasing the starting wage for RECEs employed by child care operators enrolled in the CWELCC system
• Supporting entry into the profession and career development
• Extending the eligibilty ceiling for a $1/hour increase to more RECEs can benefit
• Cutting red tape for employers and providing more flexibility in staffing their programs.

Supporting Early Years and Child Care

Investments from the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada in the child care and early years system for 2024 will total more than $4 billion. Funding will support the implementation of previously announced fee reductions, workforce supports, and other measures.

In addition, to further protect the safety of children, all licensed child care operators were required to implement a Safe Arrival and Dismissal Policy by January 1, 2024.

The province continues to invest $203 million per year through the Wage Enhancement Grant/Home Child Care Enhancement Grant to support higher staff wages.

Kindergarten to Grade 12

As described in the 2023-24 Published Plan, the ministry provides policy and program direction and financial support to district school boards, school authorities, and agencies. Ontario’s 2023-24 Grants for Student Needs and Priorities and Partnerships Funding was announced as $693 million more in base Grants for Student Needs (GSN) funding compared to the year prior, or a 2.7 per cent increase. In addition, Ontario’s students were supported with the highest level of per-student base funding in provincial history at $13,125.

The 2022-23 EQAO provincial assessment results show moderate progress in student outcomes in reading, writing and math across all grades. The results demonstrate that Ontario’s plan to provide a stable school year without interruption with a renewed emphasis on getting back-to-basics and improving foundational skills in reading and mathematics is working.

Over the course of the year, ministry oversaw publicly funded elementary and secondary education, launched its plan to boost math, writing and reading skills, improve accountability and transparency in Ontario schools, combat violence and improve safety, and launch new mental health learning.

The Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act

In June 2023, the Ontario government passed the Better Schools and Students Outcomes Act, 2023 to re-focus the education system on student achievement, prioritizing hands-on learning and developing skills in reading, writing and math. The ministry implemented a variety of measures in the 2023-24 school year to better re-focus school boards on academic achievement and the development of students’ life and job skills, as well as improving transparency for students and families. Additionally, changes were made to maximize school board capital assets to build modern schools faster, better utilize current school capacity and enhance accountability and transparency.

As a part of this work, in July, the ministry released a Student Achievement Plan framework to set out goals and performance indicators for school boards to track student achievement, develop action plans and monitor their progress on improving student outcomes. School boards will posting results of these plans in June for the first time. 

In March, the province introduced a new regulation to strengthen school board leadership by establishing a transparent, standard process and mandatory appraisal criteria to ensure that leader performance is evaluated consistently across all school boards. These measures include parent members of each school council providing input on new, standardized performance evaluations for Directors of Education. School boards are now also required to publicly report the details of their professional development sessions.

To further support families and improve transparency, the ministry launched a new parent guide to help them access the information they need to navigate their child’s education, including:

• learning options available, such as dual credit programs and Specialist High Skills Majors
• opportunities to provide feedback to school boards, such as through surveys
• ways to get involved with school council or parent involvement committee meetings
• specialized resources and supports available to help children succeed.

For the 2024–25 school year, the ministry will continue to build on this work and implement measures to ensure our public education system is more transparent and accountable.

National and International Assessments

The PISA 2022 results were released publicly on December 5th, 2023, and are the first international education system results for Ontario since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite pandemic-induced school closures, PISA 2022 indicates that Ontario continues to be among a select group of jurisdictions at the highest levels of performance in mathematics, reading, and science in the world. Ontario combines high performance with relatively high equity in student outcomes. These results affirm that Ontario’s investments through its Plan to Catch Up and back-to-basics focus in math, reading, and STEM have helped maintain Ontario’s world-class education system.

Supporting French-Language Schools

The government is committed to French-language education. French-speaking students should have access to a supportive learning environment that allows them to learn and succeed. The government also acknowledges and respects the realities and challenges of our French-language school system in a minority setting. Initiatives that support French-language education include:

• Ontario’s strategy to address the French-language teacher shortage, which was announced in June of 2021 with an investment of $12.5 million over four years. Since the launch of the strategy, our government has expanded access to Initial Teacher Education programs by:
  • Supporting the development of a multi-session French-language technological education program at the University of Ottawa, which launched in 2022 and produced its first cohort of graduates in 2023;
  • Supporting the development and launch of a new French-language teacher education program at the Université de l’Ontario français;
  • Increasing the enrolment limit for the new program at the Université de l’Ontario français from 0 to 80 full-time equivalent students per academic year; and
  • Funding 70 additional full-time equivalent spaces exclusively for French-language teacher education programs at the University of Ottawa in 2023-24.

Other initiatives to support French-language education include:

• the development of a Reading intervention program for francophones, with the support of the Centre Jules-Léger
• ongoing individualized support to school boards in mathematics with the support of a Francophone provincial mathematics officer
• a newly revised Grade 9 Français destremed course and the Français elementary curriculum, reflecting the needs of the province's French-speaking students
• the production of new high-quality online courses and several new French-language teaching resources for use by students, teachers and parents. These new features take into account the linguistic and cultural needs of French-speaking minority communities
• new resources for Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ) support, including the translation of textbooks and children's books, to broaden the pool of resources available to support students.

During 2023-24, our French-language education partners celebrated important milestones such as the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the 12 French-language school boards in the province and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Centre franco (Centre franco-ontarien de ressources pédagogiques), which produces French-language learning and pedagogical materials. With close to 112,000 students enrolled in 483 schools, Franco-Ontarians can be proud of the great successes of its French-language schools in providing quality education to its students and in protecting, enhancing, and transmitting the French-language and culture.

Supporting Provincial and Demonstration Schools

The government is firmly committed to continuing to support and promote provincial and demonstration schools in providing quality learning opportunities to ensure that students have the programming and supports that they need to meet their full potential. The ministry is investing annual capital funding of $8.6 million in modernizing and upgrading provincial and demonstration schools. To support these schools, we have introduced newly enhanced standards in student lodging, with annual reviews by inspectors, to ensure children today and into the future can benefit from specialized supports and programs.

Some key accomplishments include:

• Compliance rates of 85 to 95 per cent on the most recent annual lodging inspections which confirms a safe, healthy and nurturing environment for students in lodging
• Three years of confirmed capital improvements to optimize school and student lodging conditions and to align with accessibility, health and safety, and compliance requirements
• Expanded outreach to attract teachers with the required special qualifications
• Supporting 592 children and families with preschool services through the Deaf/Hard of Hearing Resource Services department and approximately 263 students receive services through the Blind/Low Vision Resource Services department.

Supporting Special Education

In the 2023-24 school year, Special Education Grant was projected to increase to $3.4 billion, which represents an increase of approximately $124.5 million over 2022-23. The province continued to provide funding outside of the Grants for Student Needs (GSN) through Priorities and Partnership Funding (PPF) for a variety of time-limited, high-impact initiatives that directly support students in the classroom. In 2023-24, the ministry provided school boards with the following PPF funding:

• $29.0 million in targeted programs that will benefit students with special education needs
• $6.3 million in Third-Party special education investments

Note: in addition to the special education investments noted above, the ministry invested $92.1 million in Supporting Student Potential initiatives via PPF, which will also benefit students with special education needs.

Curriculum Modernization and Back-to-Basics

In 2023-24 school year, the ministry introduced and committed to significant updates to curriculum and courses to help prepare students for success and future roles. This included:

• A back-to-basics kindergarten curriculum
• Introducing mandatory Black history learning
• Making Holodomor education mandatory for high school students
• New and expanded mandatory learning about the Holocaust in the compulsory Grade 10 History course
• Supporting Indigenous communities
• Launching new mental health learning
• Launching a plan to boost math, writing and reading skills

Graduation Coach Program for Black Students

The Ministry of Education is working with several school boards to deliver the Graduation Coach Program for Black Students. The program is designed to support systemic change and help remove barriers with classrooms and school communities.

This program offers students new opportunities to:

• Be more engaged in school
• Be better supported in achieving their academic goals
• Connect with community and school resources
• Build confidence so that they are more motivated to attend and graduate from school.

The ministry launched the program in 2019 with eight school board participating and the program has expanded to 26 school boards. Graduation coaches from each board have developed working partnerships with up to 50 community agencies where students are referred to receive culturally responsive supports.

Indigenous Graduation Coach Program

The Ministry of Education is working with multiple school boards to continue delivering the Indigenous Graduation Coach program.

The program supports Indigenous students in obtaining an OSSD. The program also supports Indigenous students as they transition from federally-funded/First Nations-operated schools to provincially-funded secondary schools, post-secondary education, training, or labour market opportunities.

Graduation Coaches have life experiences deeply rooted in Indigenous communities and experiential connections to Indigenous cultures. The Graduation Coach is an advocate and mentor for First Nations, Métis and Inuit students and facilitates access and referrals to academic supports and community resources according to student need.

Mental Health Supports

For 2023-24, Ontario announced an increase in mental health funding in schools to more than $114 million, representing an over 500 per cent increase since 2018. This includes:

• $50.4 million to help school boards meet local needs and priorities related to mental health, including professional development, student engagement, wellness promotion and mental health professionals
• $26.5 million to hire permanent mental health workers in secondary schools
• $12 million for school boards to provide consistent and reliable mental health services to students and ensure the continuity of services over the summer months of 2023
• $10.8 million for mental health leaders in school boards who collaborate with community partners to provide integrated student mental health services
• $6.5 million to School Mental Health Ontario to provide clinical expertise, resources and practical tools for educators, and the delivery of professional learning to school-based mental health clinicians
• $3.8 million towards mental health supports for racialized and marginalized students
• $2 million to increase awareness for parents and guardians on student mental health
• $2 million to support emerging student mental health needs, including initiatives that promote healthy behaviours such as the prevention and awareness of substance use and addiction.

On July 28, 2023, the Ministry released Policy and Program Memorandum 169 on Student Mental Health which includes 11 requirements related to mental health. The PPM became effective January 1, 2024, facilitating consistency across Ontario’s 72 school boards in the delivery of mental health learning, supports, and services for students. PPM 169 supports student mental health in the education sector and supports strengthening partnerships between school boards and the child and youth mental health sector.

Capital Programs

As committed to in the 2023-24 published plan, the ministry continued to support healthy and safe learning environments that accommodate student needs. For the 2023-24 school year, the province is providing school boards with approximately $1.4 billion in funding to revitalize and renew aged building systems and components. Renewal funding supports, on average, approximately 3,500 repair and rehabilitation project per school year at school buildings and sites across the province.

The Ontario government also introduced new measures to build modern schools faster. This will cut construction timelines by up to 50 per cent to meet the unprecedented pace of growth across the province. Additional improvements have been integrated into the 2023-24 round of the Capital Priorities Grant Program including: prioritizing shovel-ready projects, strengthening the accountability framework, standardizing the designs of new schools, enhancing collaboration between school boards and municipalities, and reducing red tape.

For the 2023-24 school year, 21 new schools and additions have opened, creating over 7,000 new student spaces, including six French-language school projects and just over 700 child care spaces. 
School boards are encouraged to standardize the design of new school construction, identify opportunities to work together on joint-use school projects, and bring forward shovel‑ready proposals. These measures will provide Ontario students with state-of-art learning spaces and offer more Ontario families access to child care.

Labour Relations

During the 2023-24 fiscal year, the Crown and trustees’ associations continued negotiating new central agreements with the remaining central bargaining tables representing teachers and education sector workers.

Ontario reached an agreement with the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation for both teachers and education workers in August 2023. This was followed by settlements with the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario for both teachers and education workers in Fall 2023, with the Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens in February 2024, and with the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association in March 2024. Negotiations continue with the Education Workers’ Alliance of Ontario.

Improving Teacher Recruitment

Transitional Certificate Regulation

The Ministry worked with the Ontario College of Teachers to introduce a new Transitional Certificate for eligible students enrolled in regular teacher education programs to work in publicly funded schools while completing their studies. This will provide teacher candidates with enhanced hands-on learning to better equip them for entering the teaching profession and provide school boards with flexibility to address short-term teacher supply needs.

Certification Timelines

The Ministry of Education worked with the Ontario College of Teachers to make regulatory amendments to reduce the amount of time it takes to make a certification decision for Internationally Educated Teacher applicants from 120 calendar days to 60 business days, except in exceptional circumstances. In addition, the amendments codified existing practices and requirements for domestic labour mobility applicants from other provinces, as well as Ontario Initial Teacher Education applicants. These changes will help ensure we are getting the educators we need into classrooms faster.

Key Performance Indicators

The ministry is committed to improving the results of all students across Ontario and is focused on the following indicators to track our success. Some key performance indicators include:

Improving Math Scores

The ministry is working to increase the percentage of students who achieve at or above Level 3 on the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) assessments of mathematics in Grades 3, 6, and 9. In October 2022, following two years of learning disruptions due to COVID-19, EQAO publicly released assessment results for student achievement in math. The 2021-22 results serve as the new baseline in student performance as there had been a number of changes since 2018-19 when the assessments were last administered (e.g., introduction of a new elementary mathematics curriculum and new digital format for the EQAO assessments). The 2022-23 EQAO Grades 3, 6, and 9 mathematics results each show improvements from 2021-22.

Equipping Students with the Skills they need for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

The ministry is committed to equipping students with the skills they need for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The ministry tracks the percentage of students enrolled in at least one Grade 12 mathematics or Grade 11 or 12 science course. The ministry also tracks this metric for female students. The intended outcome is to increase the number of students, including females, enrolled in elective courses that lead to preparedness for STEM success. During the 2021-22 school year, 60.5 per cent of Grade 11 and 12 students were enrolled in at least one Grade 12 mathematics or Grade 11 or 12 science course.

During the same school year, 61.4 per cent of Grade 11 and 12 female students were enrolled in at least one Grade 12 mathematics or Grade 11 or 12 science course. (Note: Students who are enrolled in more than one of these courses are only counted once, based on 2021-22 preliminary Ontario School Information System (OnSIS) data as of September 2023.)

Preparing Students for Job Skills and Employment

The ministry is committed to helping students develop and acquire the skills and knowledge needed to participate in Ontario's labour market and the changing economy by measuring targeted enrolment in job skills programs and related courses. The ministry will maintain, and where possible, increase participation in the number of unique students enrolled in job skills programs, including Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSM), Dual Credit, Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP), and in Technological Education and Cooperative Education courses.

During the 2021-22 school year, 51 per cent of Grade 11 and 12 students were enrolled in any one of: SHSM, Dual Credit, OYAP, at least one Grade 11 or 12 Technological Education course, or at least two Cooperative Education courses. (Note: students who are enrolled in more than one of these programs/courses are only counted once, based on 2021-22 preliminary OnSIS data as of September 2023.)

Ministry Interim Expenditures 2023-24 ($M)