Duty to Serve and Oath

The College exists to regulate Ontario’s teaching profession so that the public can be confident that practitioners put students’ well-being and academic success first.

Elected and publicly appointed Council members — teachers, administrators, parents and others — make decisions as a Council based on the public’s shared interest in supporting and strengthening the profession.

To describe their understanding of that duty, candidates must include a statement in their nomination packages that describes what they believe it means to serve and protect the public interest. Candidates must also disclose whether they hold any elected or appointed position in one of 13 excluded organizations and to attest that they will resign from that position if they are elected.

Council members put their service to the public above all other interests. Accordingly, each member of Council is required to take an oath of office or affirmation and promise in writing not to take direction from any other organization. Those elected will also be required to report, in writing to the Registrar, all funding related to the election process, including amounts and sources.

In addition to their personal commitments, a Public Interest Committee made up of non-College members appointed by the government advises Council on matters relating to the College and Council’s duty to serve the public interest. 

Before they can take their seat at Council, elected members and provincial appointees must take an oath or affirmation. Failure to do so renders them ineligible to serve.

The College makes a Commissioner of Oaths available to swear in new Council members.

The oath/affirmation is:

I will faithfully and impartially, to the best of my knowledge and skill, perform the duties of a member of the Council of the College and any committees of the Council on which I sit.

In so doing, I will ensure that the guiding principle in the performance of my duties is the duty to serve and protect the public interest, which is my duty as a Council member and a duty of the College.

I will perform the duties of my position without favour or ill will to any person or entity.

I will ensure that other memberships, directorships, voluntary or paid positions or affiliations that I may hold will not interfere or conflict with the performance of my duties as a Council member.

So help me God.

(The last line is omitted in an affirmation.)