History of the College

1994

• The report of the Royal Commission on Learning, recommended teachers in Ontario regulate their profession.

1996

• The government proclaimed the Ontario College of Teachers Act on July 5, creating the College, with a mandate to:
  • license teachers in Ontario
  • set and maintain professional standards for the teaching profession
  • implement a disciplinary process
  • accredit teacher education programs.
• The legislation established a 31-member Council of 17 elected members of the College and 14 members of the public appointed by the provincial government.

1997

• On May 20, we opened our doors and began handling all public teaching applications in Ontario. Notable firsts include:
  • 165,000 members’ records transferred from the Ministry of Education
  • a public registry of all public school teachers
  • development of the Professional Misconduct Regulation in cooperation with the provincial government
  • a pilot project (through to 2000) to review Ontario’s teacher education programs
  • the first issues of the College’s magazine Professionally Speaking and Pour Parler Profession were published.

1998

• We held our first public disciplinary hearing and introduced a criminal record check for all applicants.

1999

• The Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession became part of our bylaws.
• We introduced language fluency requirements (English and French) and mandatory criminal record checks for new teachers.

2000

• We presented our study, Maintaining, Ensuring and Demonstrating Competency in the Teaching Profession to the provincial government.
• The Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession became part of our bylaws.

2001

• We launched a five-year study to track teacher experiences, leading to the creation of our annual Transition to Teaching reports and a policy paper, Growing into the Profession.

2002

• We assumed responsibility for accrediting all teacher education programs in Ontario.
• We released our first Professional Advisory, Professional Misconduct Related to Sexual Abuse and Misconduct.

2003

• We established the Joseph W. Atkinson Scholarship for Excellence in Teacher Education.
• College Council elections were conducted electronically for the first time, cutting costs by 50 per cent.

2004

• We released Narrowing the Gender Gap: Attracting Men to Teaching, to address the low numbers of male teachers.
• The Teachers’ Qualifications Review was launched to review how teachers are prepared to teach and their continuing education.

2006

• We updated our Ethical Standards to embody our principles of care, trust, integrity and respect and our registration practices and processes.
• We streamlined the Ethical Standards and Standards of Practice.
• Council’s size and makeup were modified to 37 Council members — 23 elected members and 14 members of the public.
• The Ontario College of Teachers Act was amended to require Council members to swear an oath of office, providing for a Public Interest Committee.

2008

• We published the results of a two-year review of our registration practices and processes.
• We introduced the professional designation Ontario Certified Teacher (OCT), a first for teachers in Canada.

2009

• The Ontario Labour Mobility Act became law, allowing teachers certified in any Canadian jurisdiction to teach elsewhere in Canada without additional training or assessment.
• We published our first Fair Registration Practices Report, which is updated annually.

2010

• We commissioned Patrick LeSage, former Chief Justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, and Lynn Mahoney, a former partner at Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP, to review all our practices and procedures related to our investigations and disciplinary mandate.

2012

• The LeSage Report made 49 recommendations, more than half of which required additions or amendments to provincial legislation or regulations. The changes were designed to help the College:
• make information about discipline hearings available sooner
• report discipline outcomes faster
• share more information with school boards, police and other regulators
• name all those found guilty of professional misconduct.
• Council approved motions to reflect and incorporate the intent of these recommendations.

2014

• We developed the Teaching LGBTQ Students Additional Qualification, the first of its kind in North America.

2015

• As part of the Enhanced Teacher Education Program, teacher education programs were increased from two to four semesters, and an 80-day practicum was included.

2016

• The government introduced Bill 37, the Protecting Students Act. The act introduced many new requirements related to the College’s disciplinary process, including:
• a new requirement for mandatory revocation of a member’s certificate if they are found guilty of sexual abuse and prohibited acts of child pornography
• requiring the publication of certain information about Discipline Committee decisions on the College’s website and in its official publication.

• Our Council Chair and Registrar addressed the provincial government’s Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs in support of proposed amendments recommended by Council, including amendments to further support transparency of the discipline process.

2017

• We celebrated our 20th anniversary.
• We implemented our requirements under the Protecting Students Act.

2018

• R. v. Jarvis: in the appeal of a criminal case involving a teacher who was charged with and acquitted of voyeurism in two lower courts, we intervened before the Supreme Court of Canada to provide perspective on student privacy and what constitutes acceptable professional conduct for teachers.
• A policy to adopt gender inclusive language was implemented across the organization.
• At the request of the Governance Committee, we commissioned Governance Solutions Inc. to conduct an independent review of our governance structure. The governance report was presented to Council with 37 recommendations.

2019

• The Safe and Supportive Classrooms Act received royal assent. The legislation:
• expanded the definition of sexual abuse acts that would result in the mandatory revocation of a member’s license
• introduced new math competency testing for new teachers
• made changes to support the College’s governance review.

2020

• Bill 229, Protect, Support and Recover from COVID-19 Act (Budget Measures) received royal assent which included groundbreaking changes that enable the College to better protect the interests and wellbeing of Ontario’s students, while modernizing the College’s operations.
• Legislative amendments enabled the College to further safeguard students through a proactive sexual abuse prevention program and to begin a corporate governance restructuring to enhance efficiencies.
• We introduced a therapy and counselling program for students who have been sexually abused by teachers.

2021

• Governance changes from Bill 229 were proclaimed, which reflect many of the recommendations of the 8^th Council. The government changed the College’s election-based governance model to a competency-based selection process. It reduced the size of the incoming Council to a nimbler six members of the profession and six members of the public. The government appointed a Transition Supervisory Officer to oversee the process.
• We began a one-year transition to a new governance structure.
• New legislation included new reporting obligations for College members for offences, charges, bail conditions or other restrictions.
• New legislation recognized teacher professionalism by entrenching the title Ontario Certified Teacher (OCT) in legislation.
• As part of its commitment to efficiency, we commissioned an independent review of our Membership Services department, operations, services and policies.
• We endorsed the creation of a Temporary Certificate to enable faculty of education students to begin teaching earlier as a partial solution to Ontario’s teaching shortage.

2022

• We launched the mandatory Sexual Abuse Prevention Program for OCTs and applicants. More than 211,094 OCTs and applicants successfully completed the Program.
• We completed the transfer of governing authority from the Transition Supervisory Officer to its new Council, effective February 1, 2022.
• Your College and You, our digital member newsletter became the College’s official publication after Professionally Speaking / pour parler profession was decommissioned.
• We continued to ensure College documents posted to oct.ca meet accessibility guidelines, per the Accessibility for Ontarians for Disabilities Act (AODA), for compliance and readability. All content on the College’s website is required to be made accessible to individuals with disabilities.
• We replaced Transition to Teaching with Focus on Teaching. The new survey was designed to gather and analyze data about the professional experience of all OCTs.

2023

• We launched a five-year strategic plan that defines how we will fulfill our public interest mandate from 2024 to 2028.
• We developed and launched the Transitional Certificate of Qualification and Registration (TCQR) to help address teacher shortages in Ontario, replacing the Temporary Certificate.
• We implemented significant changes outlined in Bill 98 to enhance student protection and improve efficiency in investigations and disciplinary processes.
• We expanded funding eligibility for therapy and counselling for students and families impacted by sexual abuse committed by a teacher.
• We shortened decision timelines for internationally educated teachers and Ontario Labour Mobility Act applicants in response to amendments to the Fair Access to Regulatory Professions and Compulsory Trades Act.
• The first Focus on Teaching: A Survey of Ontario Certified Teachers report was released. The report provides valuable dtata about employment trends, career opportunities, and demographics within the teaching profession.

2024

• Regulatory amendments were made allowing the College to administratively suspend OCTs who do not meet the professional requirement to successfully complete the Sexual Abuse Prevention Program.
• The Mathematics Proficiency Test (MPT) was reinstated as a certification requirement for teachers in Ontario, effective February 1, 2025.