Primary and Secondary Education

Publicly funded elementary and secondary schools are administered by district school boards. Working within the framework of the Education Act and its regulations, district school boards adapt provincial education policy to local situations. They must also provide and maintain within their jurisdiction adequate teaching and support staff and appropriate facilities. Trustees, as elected members of the board, represent the local community, providing a link between electors and the education system.

In Ontario, all permanent residents between the ages of 6 and 16 must attend school. Most students continue to attend after the required period, to receive a graduation diploma in their twelfth year of school.

Elementary schools provide junior kindergarten and kindergarten programs (for children aged 4 and 5) and programs for grades 1 through 8. Secondary schools currently offer programs from Grade 9 through to Grade 12. To receive an Ontario Secondary School Diploma, students need to complete at least thirty credits in secondary school (one credit is normally one course). Beginning in 1999, new standards for education were introduced in high schools across the province. In addition to their 30 credits, students are also required to complete at least 40 hours of community service over their four years of high school.

All Ontario residents can take secondary school courses through distance education, either for diploma credit or for personal interest. These correspondence courses are offered by the ministry's Independent Learning Centre at www.ilc.org.

Primary and secondary education falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education. For more information regarding their services, current policy, curriculum, and support documents, please visit their website at www.edu.gov.on.ca.

Back to Services