A Short History of School Councils in Ontario

What is a School Council?

School Councils play a vital role in Ontario's education system and provide a forum through which parents and other members of school communities can contribute to school life. Each publicly funded elementary and secondary school in Ontario is required to have a school council.

In Ontario, School Councils are mandated by provincial law and governed by school board policy. School councils are made up of parent volunteers and are advisory in nature, providing recommendations to the school principal and, where appropriate, to the school board. School councils offer a practical way to focus the passion, energy and resources of parents, communities and school staff for the overall benefit of students.

Parental involvement in their children's education is critical to the overall achievement of students. When parents are actively involved in their children's education, the level of student achievement increases, students attend school more regularly, finish more homework in a consistent manner, and display a more positive attitude toward school. They are also more likely to complete high school.

The School Council System in Our Province is Relatively New ...

• In February 1994, the government asked the newly created Ontario Parent Council (OPC) to investigate the possible establishment of local school parent councils across Ontario. The OPC's final report recommended that parent participation at the local school level be fostered through an amendment to the Education Act. The OPC also recommended that a school parent council be required for every school to "ensure equity of access and consistency of approach for parents across Ontario".



• In its January 1995 report, For the Love of Learning, the Royal Commission on Learning acknowledged the importance of parental involvement in Ontario schools and recommended the establishment of "school community councils". Recognizing that Ontario has a long-standing tradition of parental involvement in schools, this recommendation called for a different kind of model for such involvement. Similar initiatives, including mandatory establishment of school councils, were taking place in other provinces across Canada.



• In April 1995, in response to the Commission's recommendation, the Ministry of Education and Training issued Policy/Program Memorandum (PPM) 122: School Board Policies on School Councils, which required boards to develop policies that would establish school councils by June 1996 in the schools operated by them. This new PPM outlined the minimum requirements for the composition and functioning of school councils.



• In 1997, the Education Quality Improvement Act mandated that there be school councils in all publicly funded schools in Ontario.



• By mid-1997, most school boards had completed their school council implementation plans, and school councils were forging their own way. However, not all school councils were equally positioned in terms of their experience, advancement, work, and the type of support they received from their boards. PPM 122 provided good direction in the early stages; however, frustrations were beginning to surface from a need for more specific guidelines and clearer accountability measures. It was time for an assessment of the roles and future directions of school councils in Ontario.

Note: Through PPM 122 (April 1995), school councils were introduced in Ontario. Schools began creating their respective school councils during the years l995 and l996. To meet the new mandate of the ministry guidelines in some schools, existing parent groups, education committees and/or Parent Teacher Associations developed into the newly formed school council. The year 1996-1997 was the inaugural year for school councils.

Strengthening the Role of School Councils ...

• In 1998, Minister of Education and Training Dave Johnson asked the former Education Improvement Commission (EIC) to review the future role of school councils and to advise on ways to make them stronger and more effective. In preparing its report the EIC reviewed the work of previous commissions, conducted research on the work of school councils in other places, and consulted education organizations and the public. The vast majority of people who responded during the commission's consultations were parents. The EIC's report, The Road Ahead - III: A Report on the Role of School Councils, proposed an even more meaningful role for school councils, which further encouraged the involvement of parents in their children's education. The EIC found that most parents wanted their school councils to remain advisory bodies, but felt that their advice was not always considered. Parents wanted to have meaningful input and an ability to influence decisions that would affect their children and their local schools. While there were some excellent examples of close working relationships between school councils, schools, and boards, the EIC noted the need to develop consistent expectations for school councils across the province.

Clarifying Roles & Responsibilities ...

• In December 1999, Minister of Education Janet Ecker asked her parliamentary assistant, David Young, to meet with school council representatives across Ontario to find out what they needed to help their school councils better understand their role and become more effective.



• In early 2000, the Minister's parliamentary assistant met with more than 700 parents in 14 locations across the province and attended 27 meetings with provincial organizations involved in education. More than 1,500 submissions were received. A discussion document, "School Councils - A Background Paper", was distributed to school councils and posted on the ministry website. The feedback received confirmed that parents wanted their voices to be heard through school councils. But, they also wanted the advisory role of school councils to be clear and consistent, province wide. At the same time, they wanted school boards and principals to be clear about their roles and responsibilities in dealing with school councils.



• In December 2000, Minister Ecker released Ontario Regulation 612/00, which confirms the advisory role of school councils and clearly states that their purpose is to improve student achievement and enhance the accountability of the education system to parents. This regulation also clarifies the role of school councils and establishes their right to express their views on any issues that are important to them.



• Ontario Regulation 613/00, also released in December 2000, is an amendment to Regulation 298(Operation of Schools, General). It sets out the duties of principals regarding school councils, in addition to the duties already described in Regulation 298. All references to Regulation 298 in this guide include the amendments contained in Ontario Regulation 613/00. Both regulations, released under the Education Act, require that:
  
  
  • school boards and principals solicit views from school councils and report back to school councils on any advice received;
  
  
  
  • school boards and school principals across the province consult with and respond to their school councils in a consistent manner.

By strengthening school councils and helping them to operate more effectively, school councils will be able to better influence decisions affecting both students' education and schools themselves. The Ministry of Education is committed to supporting the long-term development of school councils and will continually seek ways to help school councils be an effective voice for parents.

Adapted from the Ontario Ministry of Education - SCHOOL COUNCILS: A GUIDE FOR MEMBERS