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The Ontario College of Teachers licenses, governs and regulates the province’s teaching profession in the public interest and to protect students. All publicly funded school teachers and administrators in Ontario must be licensed by us and be Ontario Certified Teachers (OCT).
The College regulates the teaching profession to protect students. Teachers in Ontario’s publicly funded elementary and secondary schools must be certified by the College, keep their membership in good standing, and follow the profession’s ethical and practice standards.
Explore everything related to your Ontario College of Teachers certification, including how to pay your annual fees, keep up to date with the College, and stay informed about ongoing professional learning.
You must apply to be certified by the Ontario College of Teachers and remain in good standing to teach in Ontario’s publicly funded elementary and secondary schools.
The College provides information and resources to support Ontario Certified Teachers (OCTs), applicants and education system partners to strengthen the teaching profession and promote student safety.
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By law, cases under investigation are confidential. For the education of members, the following accounts, based on facts from real cases, raise important questions about teacher conduct, such as what is appropriate and what is not. Details have been altered to respect confidentiality.
The College received a complaint regarding Louis, a high school teacher. It was alleged that he shared a personal anecdote with students that was demeaning to members of 2SLGBTQ+ communities.
He also allegedly made numerous culturally insensitive remarks, including making fun of ethnic and religious groups.
Louis acknowledged making the comments referred to in the allegations, but explained they were intended to be humorous and had been taken out of context.
The school board conducted an investigation and suspended him for a brief period of time. He was also counselled on how to create and maintain respectful boundaries with students.
If you were a member of the Investigation Committee panel, would you dismiss the complaint or refer the matter to the Discipline Committee for a hearing?
The College's mandate is to regulate the teaching profession in the public interest. One of its roles is to resolve complaints about members. The Investigation Committee panel reviewed the parties' submissions and all relevant information available to the College. Members of the panel were satisfied that the allegations set out in the complaint related to professional misconduct, incompetence or incapacity. They referred the matter to the Discipline Committee.
