Education in Ontario

Here is an overview of the system in Ontario. All of its components work together to deliver quality education for your child

Ministry of Education

Education is a responsibility of the provincial government. In Ontario, the Education Act outlines the responsibilities of school boards, principals, teachers, parents, and school councils. The Ministry of Education administers the Education Act, develops education policy and the provincial curriculum, and allocates funds to school boards. For more information, visit the Ministry of Education website.

School boards

Ontario’s 72 school boards provide free, universal education for all its students. These school boards are made up of:

• 31 English-language public boards (the Peel District School Board is one)
• 29 English-language Catholic boards and 8 French-language Catholic boards (open to all students who are Roman Catholic or have Roman Catholic parents)
• 4 French-language public boards (open to students whose first language is French)

There are also private schools in Ontario, which charge tuition.

The Peel District School Board, like every school board in Ontario, is governed by elected trustees. As a group, trustees are often referred to as the “school board.” Here are some board responsibilities:

• make policies for the board and schools
• prepare a budget and manage funds from the province for education
• determine the number, size and location of schools
• build, furnish and supervise schools
• provide education and teaching programs
• hire teachers and other staff
• approve school textbooks and learning materials
• establish a school council at every school

Principals

As school leaders, principals manage their staff and schools, supervise students, and evaluate the quality of instruction at their school, and student supervision. Depending on the size of a school, a vice-principal may be assigned to help the principal manage the school.

Teachers