# Ministry of Education (Ontario)

The Ministry of Education is the ministry of the Government of Ontario responsible for government policy, funding, curriculum planning and direction in all levels of public education, including elementary and secondary schools.
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, but are not involved in the day-to-day operations.
The current minister of education is Jill Dunlop. A number of ministers of education have gone on to become premier of Ontario, including Arthur Sturgis Hardy, George Ross, George Drew, John Robarts, Bill Davis, and Kathleen Wynne.

## History

Prior to Confederation, the supervision of the education system and the development of education policy of Canada West were the responsibilities of the Department of Public Instruction. Founded in 1850, the department was headed by the chief superintendent of education, Egerton Ryerson, 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, 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

| | Portrait | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Tenure | Political party (Ministry) | Note |
| | | Adam Crooks | February 19, 1876 | November 23, 1883 | 7 years, 277 days | Liberal (Mowat) | |
| | | George Ross | November 23, 1883 | July 21, 1896 | 15 years, 332 days | |
| July 21, 1896 | | George Ross | October 21, 1899 | Liberal (Hardy) | 15 years, 332 days | |
| | | Richard Harcourt | October 21, 1899 | February 8, 1905 | 5 years, 110 days | Liberal (Ross) | |
| | | Robert Pyne | February 8, 1905 | September 25, 1914 | 13 years, 104 days | Conservative (Whitney) | |
| September 25, 1914 | | Robert Pyne | May 23, 1918 | Conservative (Hearst) | 13 years, 104 days | |
| | | Henry John Cody | May 23, 1918 | November 14, 1919 | 1 year, 175 days | |
| | | Robert Grant | November 14, 1919 | November 16, 1923 | 4 years, 2 days | United Farmers (Drury) | |
| | | Howard Ferguson | July 16, 1923 | December 15, 1930 | 7 years, 152 days | Conservative (Ferguson) | While Premier |
| | | George Henry | December 15, 1930 | July 10, 1934 | 3 years, 207 days | Conservative (Henry) | While Premier |
| | | Leonard Simpson | July 10, 1934 | August 18, 1940 | 6 years, 39 days | Liberal (Hepburn) | |
| | | Duncan McArthur | August 22, 1940 | October 21, 1942 | 8 years, 58 days | |
| October 21, 1942 | | Duncan McArthur | May 18, 1943 | Liberal (Conant) | 8 years, 58 days | |
| May 18, 1943 | | Duncan McArthur | July 20, 1943 | Liberal (Nixon) | 8 years, 58 days | |
| | | George Drew | August 17, 1943 | October 19, 1948 | 5 years, 63 days | PC (Drew) | While Premier |
| | | Dana Porter | October 19, 1948 | May 4, 1949 | 2 years, 348 days | PC (Kennedy) | |
| May 4, 1949 | | Dana Porter | October 2, 1951 | PC (Frost) | 2 years, 348 days | |
| | | William Dunlop | October 2, 1951 | December 17, 1959 | 8 years, 76 days | |
| | | John Robarts | December 17, 1959 | November 8, 1961 | 2 years, 312 days | |
| November 8, 1961 | | John Robarts | October 25, 1962 | PC (Robarts) | 2 years, 312 days | While Premier |
| | | Bill Davis | October 25, 1962 | March 1, 1971 | 8 years, 127 days | Concurrently Minister of College and Universities after May 14, 1964 |
| | | Robert Welch | March 1, 1971 | February 2, 1972 | 338 days | PC (Davis) | While Provincial Secretary of Social Development |
| | | Thomas Wells | February 2, 1972 | August 18, 1978 | 6 years, 197 days | |
| | | Bette Stephenson | August 18, 1978 | February 8, 1985 | 6 years, 174 days | Concurrently Minister of Colleges and Universities |
| | | Keith Norton | February 8, 1985 | May 17, 1985 | 98 days | PC (Miller) | Concurrently Minister of Colleges and Universities & Provincial Secretary of Social Development |
| | | Larry Grossman | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 | 40 days | Concurrently Minister of Colleges and Universities |
| | | Sean Conway | June 26, 1985 | September 29, 1987 | 2 years, 95 days (first instance) | Liberal (Peterson) | |
| | | Christopher Ward | September 29, 1987 | August 2, 1989 | 1 year, 307 days | |
| | | Sean Conway | August 2, 1989 | October 1, 1990 | 1 year, 60 days (second instance) 3 year, 155 days in total | Concurrently Minister of Colleges and Universities & Minister of Skills Development |
| | | Marion Boyd | October 1, 1990 | October 15, 1991 | 1 year, 14 days | NDP (Rae) | |
| | | Tony Silipo | October 15, 1991 | February 3, 1993 | 1 year, 111 days | NDP (Rae) | |
| Minister of Education and Training | Minister of Education and Training | Minister of Education and Training | Minister of Education and Training | Minister of Education and Training | | NDP (Rae) |
| | | Dave Cooke | February 3, 1993 | June 26, 1995 | 2 years, 143 days | NDP (Rae) | For this period, there is no Minister of Colleges and Universities; Ministry of Education is responsible for all post secondary education, including skills training. |
| | | John Snobelen | June 26, 1995 | October 10, 1997 | 2 years, 106 days | PC (Harris) | For this period, there is no Minister of Colleges and Universities; Ministry of Education is responsible for all post secondary education, including skills training. |
| | | David Johnson | October 10, 1997 | June 17, 1999 | 1 year, 250 days | PC (Harris) | For this period, there is no Minister of Colleges and Universities; Ministry of Education is responsible for all post secondary education, including skills training. |
| Minister of Education | Minister of Education | Minister of Education | Minister of Education | Minister of Education | | PC (Harris) |
| | | Janet Ecker | June 17, 1999 | April 14, 2002 | 2 years, 301 days | PC (Harris) | |
| | | Elizabeth Witmer | April 15, 2002 | October 22, 2003 | 1 year, 190 days | PC (Eves) | |
| | | Gerard Kennedy | October 23, 2003 | April 5, 2006 | 2 years, 164 days | Liberal (McGuinty) | |
| | | Sandra Pupatello | April 5, 2006 | September 18, 2006 | 166 days | |
| | | Kathleen Wynne | September 18, 2006 | January 18, 2010 | 3 years, 122 days | |
| | | Leona Dombrowsky | January 18, 2010 | October 20, 2011 | 1 year, 275 days | |
| | | Laurel Broten | October 20, 2011 | February 11, 2013 | 1 year, 114 days | |
| | | Liz Sandals | February 11, 2013 | June 13, 2016 | 3 years, 123 days | Liberal (Wynne) | |
| | | Mitzie Hunter | June 13, 2016 | January 17, 2018 | 1 year, 218 days | Indira Naidoo-Harris served as Associate Minister of Education (Early Years and Child Care) from August 24, 2016 to January 17, 2017. |
| | | Indira Naidoo-Harris | January 17, 2018 | June 29, 2018 | 163 days | |
| | | Lisa Thompson | June 29, 2018 | June 20, 2019 | 356 days | PC (Ford) | |
| | | Stephen Lecce | June 20, 2019 | June 6, 2024 | 4 years, 352 days | |
| | | Todd Smith | June 6, 2024 | August 16, 2024 | 71 days | |
| | | Jill Dunlop | August 16, 2024 | present | 172 days | |

## Approach to discipline

Ontario public schools use progressive discipline. Discipline is corrective and supportive rather than punitive, with a focus on prevention and early intervention. It is a whole-school, systemic approach, engaging students, families and the larger community, as well as classes, schools and boards. Schools are to recognize and respect the diversity of parent communities, and partner with them accordingly. Students are surveyed at least every two years about their experience of the school climate.
"For students with special education needs, interventions, supports, and consequences must be consistent with the student’s strengths and needs".
While the school principal is responsible for discipline, all board employees who come into contact with students are responsible for stepping in if inappropriate behaviour occurs. The principal may also delegate powers and duties related to discipline.

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