Education in Ontario

Education in Ontario comprises public and private primary schools, secondary schools and post-secondary institutions. Publicly funded elementary and secondary schools are administered by the Ontario Ministry of Education, while colleges and universities are administered by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. The current respective Ministers for each are Stephen Lecce and Ross Romano. The province's public education system is primarily funded by the Government of Ontario, with education in Canada falling almost entirely under provincial jurisdiction. There is no federal government department or agency involved in the formation or analysis of policy regarding education for most Canadians. Schools for Indigenous people in Canada with Indian status are the only schools that are funded federally, and although the schools receive more money per individual student than certain provinces, the amount also includes the operation and maintenance of school facilities, instructional services, students supports and staff.^[7] Most provincial allocations per students do not include the maintenance and operation of buildings, as most provincial governments offer additional grants.^[8]

Several publicly funded school systems provide elementary and secondary schooling to Canadian residents of the province from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12. The school systems operate as public or separate, in either the English or French language. The overlapping publicly funded school systems is organized into a number of school boards: 31 English secular, 29 English Roman Catholics, eight French Catholic, four French secular, and one Protestant separate school board.^[9][10] French-language school boards are guaranteed under Section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.^[11]