New legislation recognizes teacher professionalism and introduces further efficiencies to College’s governance structure
October 12 2021
(Toronto) The Ontario College of Teachers, Ontario’s teaching regulator, applauds new legislation that recognizes teacher professionalism by entrenching the term Ontario Certified Teacher (OCT) in legislation, reduces the size of the incoming College Council, and increases fairness to OCTs when they are not actively teaching.
The government announced its plans in Bill 13, the Supporting People and Businesses Act.
“The wide-ranging legislation recognizes teacher professionalism while addressing crucial elements that will enable the next governing Council to act more efficiently and better support the College’s mandate,” says Paul Boniferro, Transition Supervisory Officer, Ontario College of Teachers. “We applaud the new legislation and will continue to work closely with the government to enhance the provisions as needed.”
“These new and critical changes will remove outdated administrative processes and instead, let us focus on what’s really important: protecting the public interest,” says Dr. Derek Haime, OCT, Registrar and CEO, Ontario College of Teachers. “Moreover, the legislation reinforces teacher professionalism while providing fairer practices for the profession.”
Elevating teacher professionalism
The proposed legislation closes a gap in recognizing teacher professionalism. Like engineers and accountants, or P.Eng. and CPAs, teachers are highly educated and trained professionals. While trademarked in 2009, giving Ontario Certified Teachers – OCTs – the right to title in law confirms only those who meet the high standards for great teaching can use the OCT designation.
Supporting the College’s transition to a new governance
The College is undergoing a legislated transition to a new governance structure that will streamline its operations, enabling it to operate more effectively and efficiently. The proposed legislation supports this transition and includes:
- A reduced Council size from 18 to 12, equally represented by OCTs and members of the public, will make it nimbler and more effective for decision-making.
- A statutory committee panel composition, which includes three individuals from either the committee or the roster of eligible panellists, including at least one OCT and one member of the public, means there is the flexibility to accommodate more hearings in a shorter period.
The new Council, committee and roster members will be announced publicly by December 23, 2021, on the College’s website. Terms of office will begin on January 1, 2022. Authority under the Act will transfer from the Transition Supervisory Officer (TSO) to Council and committees on February 1, 2022.
Increased fairness for Ontario Certified Teachers
Proposed legislative amendments provide for fairer treatment of members by providing greater clarity of membership statuses on the public register. For retired members and those who have been suspended for non-payment of fees, a new membership status, “inactive non-practising” will be used to denote their status. The new term removes the stigma of the word suspended, which is typically associated with disciplinary matters.
Operational efficiencies
Clarifying the authority of the Registrar to appoint individuals to the Deputy Registrar position supports effective governance practices and ensures there is proper operational support and clarity of roles.
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About the Ontario College of Teachers
The Ontario College of Teachers licenses, governs and regulates the profession of teaching in the public interest. It sets standards of practice and ethical standards, conducts disciplinary hearings and accredits teacher education programs affecting more than 232,000 members in publicly funded schools and institutions across Ontario. The College is Canada’s largest self-regulatory body.
For more information, contact:
Gabrielle Barkany, OCT, Senior Communications Officer (Bilingual)
416-961-8800, ext. 621
Toll-free 1-888-534-2222, ext. 621
Andrew Fifield, Senior Communications Officer
416-961-8800, ext. 655
Toll-free 1-888-534-2222, ext. 655
Olivia Yu, Senior Communications Officer
416-961-8800, ext. 620
Toll-free 1-888-534-2222, ext. 620
