The Ministry of Education () is the ministry of the

Government of Ontario The Government of Ontario () is the body responsible for the administration of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. The term ''Government of Ontario'' refers specifically to the executive—political Minister ...

responsible for government policy, funding, curriculum planning and direction in all levels of public education, including

elementary Elementary may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''Elementary'' (Cindy Morgan album), 2001 * ''Elementary'' (The End album), 2007 * ''Elementary'', a Melvin "Wah-Wah Watson" Ragin album, 1977 Other uses in arts, entertainment, an ...

and

secondary schools A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

. 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 Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, but are not involved in the day-to-day operations. The current minister of education is

Paul Calandra Paul A. Calandra (born May 13, 1970) is a Canadian politician who has served as the Ontario minister of education since 2025. A member of the Ontario Progressive Conservative (PC) Party, Calandra represents Markham—Stouffville in the Legis ...

. A number of ministers of education have gone on to become

premier of Ontario The premier of Ontario () is the head of government of Ontario. Under the Westminster system, the premier governs with the confidence of a majority the elected Legislative Assembly; as such, the premier typically sits as a member of Provincia ...

, including

Arthur Sturgis Hardy Arthur Sturgis Hardy, (December 14, 1837 – June 13, 1901) was a Canadian lawyer and Liberal politician who served as the fourth premier of Ontario from 1896 to 1899. Early life Born in Mount Pleasant, Brant County, in 1837, Hardy was ...

, George Ross, George Drew,

John Robarts John Parmenter Robarts (January 11, 1917 – October 18, 1982) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 17th premier of Ontario from 1961 to 1971. He was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. Early life Roba ...

Bill Davis William Grenville Davis, (July 30, 1929 – August 8, 2021) was a Canadian politician who served as the 18th premier of Ontario from 1971 to 1985. Behind Oliver Mowat, Davis was the List of premiers of Ontario by time in office, second-longes ...

, and

Kathleen Wynne Kathleen O'Day Wynne ( ; born May 21, 1953) is a former Canadian politician who served as the 25th premier of Ontario and leader of the Ontario Liberal Party from 2013 to 2018. She was Member of Provincial Parliament (Ontario), member of provinci ...

History

Prior to

Confederation A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

, the supervision of the education system and the development of education policy of

Canada West The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in British North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report ...

were the responsibilities of the Department of Public Instruction. Founded in 1850, the department was headed by the chief superintendent of education,

Egerton Ryerson Adolphus Egerton Ryerson (24 March 1803 – 19 February 1882) was a Canadian educator, author, editor, and Methodist minister who was a prominent contributor to the design of the Canadian public school system. Ryerson is considered to be the fo ...

, 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 The Hall-Dennis Report, officially titled ''Living and Learning: The Report of the Provincial Committee on Aims and Objectives of Education in the Schools of Ontario'', called for broad reforms to Ontario education to empower teachers and the large ...

, 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.

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.

List of ministers of education

Ministry agencies

* Association Des Enseignants Franco-Ontariens (AEFO) Employee Life and Health Trust * Council of the College of Early Childhood Educators * Council of The Ontario College of Teachers * Cupe Education Workers' Benefits Trust * Education Quality and Accountability Office * Education Relations Commission * Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) Employee Life and Health Trust * Languages of Instruction Commission of Ontario * Ministers' Advisory Council On Special Education * Ontario Educational Communications Authority (TVO) * Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA) Employee Life and Health Trust *

TFO TFO is a Canadian French language educational television channel and media organization serving the province of Ontario. It is operated by the Ontario French-language Educational Communications Authority (OTELFO), a Crown corporation owned by t ...

* Ontario Non-Union Teachers' Trust * Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board * OSSTF Employee Life and Health Trust * Provincial Schools Authority

References

External links

*
Biography of the Minister of Education
* {{ONGovDept

Education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

1999 establishments in Ontario

Education in Ontario Ministries established in 1999