Education in Ontario

There is no federal government department or agency involved in the formation or analysis of policy regarding education for most Canadians.

[9][10] French-language school boards are guaranteed under Section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

However, it was taken advantage of and quickly became problematic as school trustees supported racial segregation towards non-White students.

Many of these schools were located in southwestern Ontario where Black individuals and families settled looking for freedom.

[27] Those schools that were for Black students were characterized by markedly poorer conditions and little concern was shown for their education.

[26] Scholars identify this as a suppressed history because it contradicts narratives of Ontario and Canada as places of justice and equality.

[28] However, this history includes a legacy of slavery in Canada that lasted for over 200 years as well as acts of terror perpetuated by white Ontarians such as burning the barns of Black families to the ground.

Egerton Ryerson was a key architect of the residential school system in Ontario.

Residential schools were federally administered, meaning that the provincial government was not required to meet treaty obligations to Ontario First Nations for education.

[40] In 1867, the Constitution of Canada outlined protections for educating both Protestant and Catholic students.

[46] In 1996, Adler v Ontario determined that provinces could choose how to direct their funding to religious schools.

[49] A 2018 Ipsos poll concluded that 60% were in favour of a single school system that was publicly funded.

Proponents argue that defunding the Catholic school system would be more fair to people with different religious backgrounds and save an estimated $1.2 to $1.5 billion annually.

[53] Some schools offer a Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) where students can apprentice trades before graduating.

There is no legal age or time constraint against attending secondary school longer than 4 years, although a limit on course credits exists.

[64] Students enrolled in french immersion programs in Toronto are typically middle class and white.

Some schools offer it to parents on a first-come, first-served basis, while others perform a lottery.

In 2024, a federal cap on international student visas was introduced to ease the national housing crisis.