1.1 Safe and healthy schools

1.1.1 Daily physical activity

PPM 138: Daily physical activity in elementary schools, grades 1–8 ensures that all elementary students, including students with special education needs, have a minimum of 20 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each school day during instructional time.

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1.1.2 School Food and Beverage Policy

PPM 150: School food and beverage policy outlines school board requirements, including nutrition standards, for the sale of food and beverages in Ontario’s elementary and secondary schools. It applies to all venues where food and beverages are sold on school premises for school purposes and all school programs and events.

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1.1.3 Prevalent Medical Conditions Policy

PPM 161: Supporting children and students with prevalent medical conditions (anaphylaxis, asthma, diabetes, and/or epilepsy) in schools requires school boards to have a policy in place to support students who have asthma, diabetes or epilepsy, or are at risk for anaphylaxis (collectively, these conditions are referred to as “prevalent medical conditions”.)

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1.1.3.1 Anaphylaxis policy: Sabrina’s Law

Under Sabrina’s Law, school boards are required to establish and maintain an anaphylaxis policy. This policy may be incorporated into the school board’s broader policy to support children and students with prevalent medical conditions under PPM 161: Supporting children and students with prevalent medical conditions (anaphylaxis, asthma, diabetes, and/or epilepsy) in schools.

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1.1.3.2 Asthma policy: Ryan’s Law

Ryan’s Law requires school boards to establish and maintain an asthma policy. This policy may be incorporated into the school board’s broader policy to support children and students with prevalent medical conditions under PPM 161: Supporting children and students with prevalent medical conditions (anaphylaxis, asthma, diabetes, and/or epilepsy) in schools.

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1.1.4 School board policies on concussion

PPM 158: School board policies on concussion requires school boards to develop and maintain a policy on concussion safety.

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1.1.5 Provincial Code of Conduct and school board codes of conduct

PPM 128: The provincial code of conduct and school board codes of conduct promotes respect and sets clear standards of behaviour for everyone involved in the publicly funded school system, including students, principals, teachers, early childhood educators, other school staff, parent(s)/guardian(s), school bus drivers, volunteers and community partners. The Code applies on school property, in virtual learning environments, on school buses, at school-related events or activities, in before- and after-school programs, and in other circumstances where behaviour may impact the learning and teaching environment.

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1.1.6 Progressive discipline and promoting positive student behaviour

PPM 145: Progressive discipline and promoting positive student behaviour requires school boards to establish their policies and guidelines on progressive discipline in accordance with subsection 302(2) of Part XIII of the Education Act.

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1.1.7 Suspension of elementary school students

Ontario Regulation 440/20, Suspension of Elementary School Pupils removes the discretion of the principal to suspend students from kindergarten to Grade 3 for activities listed in subsection 306(1) of the Education Act. These behaviours should be addressed with appropriate positive behaviour supports in the school setting. Students in kindergarten to Grade 3 are still subject to suspensions for activities listed in subsection 310(1) of the Education Act, pending the results of an investigation.

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1.1.8 Bullying prevention and intervention

PPM 144: Bullying prevention and intervention requires school boards to establish plans, policies and guidelines to support bullying prevention and intervention in schools.

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1.1.9 School board programs for students on long-term suspension and expelled students

PPM 141: School board programs for students on long-term suspension provides direction to school boards regarding the development of board programs for students on long-term suspension.

PPM 142: School board programs for expelled students provides direction to school boards regarding the development of board programs for expelled students.

School boards must provide programming for students who are on long-term suspension or who have been expelled to ensure these students have the opportunity to continue their education.

Resources dedicated to suspension programs may also be used for students who have not been suspended or expelled but have shown behaviours that, if unchanged, could lead to a suspension or expulsion. (See section 1.1.6 for more on progressive discipline.)

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1.1.10 Provincial model for a local police/school board protocol

The Provincial model for a local police/school board protocol (2015) outlines the common principles upon which all local police or school board protocols should be based and the 22 key elements they must include.

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1.1.11 Reporting violent incidents to the Ministry of Education

PPM 120: Reporting violent incidents to the Ministry of Education provides direction to school boards on the development of procedures for reporting violent incidents to the Ministry of Education. All violent incidents that occur on school premises during school-run programs must be reported, whether the incident was committed by a student or any other person.

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1.1.12 Policy Framework for School Board Anti-Sex Trafficking Protocols

PPM 166: Keeping Students Safe: Policy Framework for School Board Anti-Sex Trafficking Protocols requires school boards to develop and implement local anti-sex trafficking protocols with core components in place to protect students and empower school communities to play a key role in fighting sex trafficking and keeping children and youth safe from sexual exploitation.

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1.2 Environmental education

Acting Today, Shaping Tomorrow: A Policy Framework for Environmental Education in Ontario Schools outlines how Ontario’s education system will prepare students with the knowledge, skills, perspectives and practices they need to be environmentally responsible citizens. It also promotes environmental responsibility in the operations of all levels of the education system, encouraging school boards to implement environmentally responsible practices.

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1.3 Equity and inclusive education

PPM 119: Developing and implementing equity and inclusive education policies in Ontario schools provides direction to school boards on the review, development, implementation and monitoring of equity and inclusive education policies to support student achievement and well-being.

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1.4 Parent Engagement Policy

Parents in Partnership: A Parent Engagement Policy for Ontario Schools formally recognizes parent(s)/guardian(s) as valued partners and active participants in their children’s education.

It includes an action plan for schools, boards and the ministry to help ensure all partners have the skills, knowledge and tools needed to build positive partnerships in support of student achievement and well-being.

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1.4.1 School councils and parent involvement committees

Ontario Regulation 612/00 requires boards to establish a school council in each school. By actively participating on a school council, parent(s)/guardian(s) can provide recommendations to the school principal and board. This helps improve student achievement while also making the education system itself more accountable to parent(s)/guardian(s).

The regulation also requires school boards to establish a parent involvement committee (PIC). The purpose of a PIC is to support, encourage and enhance parental engagement at the board level, leading to improved student achievement and well-being. PICs provide information and advice on parental engagement to the board, communicate with and support school councils, and conduct activities to help parent(s)/guardian(s) support children’s learning at home and at school.

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1.5 Student engagement

Student engagement is an essential part of Ontario’s equity and inclusive education strategy. Schools and school boards can use many different strategies and practices to invite and encourage students to participate in creating and contributing to their learning communities.

Schools and school boards consult with students when developing local policies and procedures to implement ministry policies.

In addition, the Education Act requires school boards to work with one to three elected student trustees. These student trustees work with their boards to represent the interests of students in the last two years of the intermediate division and in the senior division. While student trustees are not board members, they have many of the same rights and responsibilities.

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1.6 Indigenous education

The Ministry of Education works with school boards, the federal government, and a range of First Nation, Métis and Inuit partners and communities to support the academic success and well-being of First Nation, Métis and Inuit students.

All school boards must have formal structures such as Indigenous Education Councils (IECs) in place to support Indigenous education in school boards. The IECs composition is not mandated by the government; it is determined locally. The IECs guide school boards and schools in building stronger relationships with communities, sharing information, identifying promising practices and enhancing collaborative work to support First Nation, Métis and Inuit student achievement and well-being.

Each board must establish a dedicated Indigenous Education Lead who will work closely with senior board administrators and IECs to develop and implement the Board Action Plan on Indigenous Education. The Indigenous Education Lead will coordinate the implementation of the Board Action Plan on Indigenous Education, which includes targeted board initiatives, activities and programs that are co-developed with the IEC and supports the board in its engagements with Indigenous parents and guardians, communities, partners and organizations. Funding is provided to each school board to support this position through the Program Leadership Grant Allocation of the Grants for Student Needs.

All boards must develop and regularly review a policy for the confidential and voluntary self-identification of First Nation, Métis and Inuit students to support data collection and reporting to the ministry. School boards and the ministry use this data to understand the student achievement levels of First Nation, Métis and Inuit students; to target funding for Indigenous learners; and to support greater accountability for Indigenous education.

The ministry also understands the importance of building knowledge of Indigenous histories, cultures, perspectives and ways of knowing among every student and educator. The revised First Nations, Métis and Inuit studies curriculum (formerly “Native studies”) for Grades 9–12 is made up of 10 secondary school courses. These courses provide students with up-to-date learning about First Nations, Métis and Inuit perspectives, cultures, contributions and contemporary realities across a range of disciplines, including arts, literature, law, politics and history. Each course has an introduction that outlines disciplinary foundations and approaches and provides cultural context to support educators delivering the course.

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1.7 Financial literacy education

All Ontario students need the skills and knowledge to manage their personal financial well-being with confidence, competence, and a critical and compassionate awareness of the world around them.

Ontario has introduced mandatory financial literacy learning in the following curricula:

  • Grades 1 to 8 mathematics (2020)
  • Grade 9 mathematics (2021)
  • Grade 10 career studies (2019)

Starting in 2025, students enrolled in a Grade 10 mathematics course must successfully complete a financial literacy graduation requirement as part of the course. Students will need to achieve a mark of 70% or higher to pass this new requirement. Those who are unsuccessful will have another opportunity to attempt the assessment in their Grade 10 Mathematics course, as well as access to further supports that educators and school boards may provide before moving to credit recovery.

Making informed decisions about economic and financial matters has become an increasingly complex undertaking in the modern world; therefore, students need to build knowledge and skills in a wide variety of areas. For this reason, Ontario continues to integrate financial literacy learning into a variety of disciplines.

The ministry also continues to fund the development of financial literacy resources, for both elementary and secondary classrooms, which includes classroom-ready materials for teachers.

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1.8 Collaborative professionalism

PPM 159: Collaborative professionalism reflects the commitment of all education partners to optimize conditions for learning, working and leading in Ontario schools.

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1.9 French-language schools

1.9.1 Francophone community and French-language education in Ontario

Francophone community

Section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees access to French-language education to children in Ontario who have at least one parent who is a minority-language education rights holder.

A minority-language education rights holder is a parent or guardian who is a Canadian citizen and meets at least one of the following criteria:

  • Their native language is French (that is, the first language learned and still understood).
  • They received their education at the elementary level in a French-language education institution in Canada.
  • They are the parent (or guardian) of a child who has received or receives their education at the elementary or secondary level in a French-language education institution in Canada.

French-language education in Ontario

The Education Act gives Franco-Ontarians control over their educational facilities (schools and school boards). The right to management and control provided by section 23 of the Charter applies to the cultural and linguistic aspects of the school, as well as those non-linguistic aspects necessary to maintain the school’s linguistic character.

1.9.2 Mandate of Ontario’s French-language schools

French-language schools have a double mandate. First, they are to offer a high-quality education in French that promotes the academic success and well-being of every student. Second, they are to foster students’ sense of belonging to la Francophonie and thus contribute to the linguistic and cultural vitality and growth of Ontario’s dynamic and pluralistic Francophone community.

1.9.3 Ontario’s Aménagement Linguistique Policy for French-Language Education

Ontario's Aménagement Linguistique Policy for French-Language Education (in French, la Politique d’aménagement linguistique de l’Ontario pour l’éducation en langue française, or PAL) is a foundational policy for French-language elementary and secondary schools — and the cornerstone of all French-language education activities.

Additional resources and guides are available to support educators in the French-language school system.

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