Ontario. Dept. of Education

• Department of Education

The Department of Education was established by legislation on February 10, 1876, replacing the Department of Public Instruction. The new Department was presided over by the Minister of Education who was assigned the powers formerly held by the Chief Superintendent of Education. With this change, the position of Chief Superintendent was abolished. The Council of Public Instruction was also dissolved at this time and the Department assumed its functions.

In 1877, to meet an increasing need for teachers, the concept of County Model Schools was devised in order to train candidates for 3rd Class Certificates. These schools were discontinued in 1907 and replaced with Provincial Model Schools which served larger regions. These schools, in turn, were discontinued in 1924 leaving only the Provincial Normal Schools (located in Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, Stratford, London, North Bay and Peterborough) to provide training for elementary teachers.

In 1876, the Department provided financial support to the Ontario Society of Artists in order to allow it to open the Ontario School of Art. The Department also operated the Provincial Museum until 1933, and published reports on Archaeology from 1900 until 1928.

Early offices that were established within the Department included the Superintendent of Art Schools and Mechanics' Institutes in 1880 (later renamed the Inspector of Public Libraries); the Superintendent of Education (existing from 1906-1919); the Chief Director (existing from 1923-1965); the Chief Inspector of Public and Separate Schools, established in 1908 and renamed the Elementary Education Branch in 1946; and the Chief Inspector of Secondary Schools, established in 1935 and renamed the Superintendent of Secondary Education by 1943.

Other agencies and branches attached to, or controlled by, the Department included the Ontario College of Education (established in 1920), the Department of Public Records and Archives, the Ontario Council for the Arts (established in 1963), and the University Committee (which was established in 1958 and renamed the Advisory Committee on University Affairs in 1961).

In 1964, responsibility for universities in Ontario was transferred from the Department of Education to the newly created Department of University Affairs. In 1971, the Applied Arts and Technology Branch was also transferred to the Department of University Affairs, which was subsequently renamed the Department of Colleges and Universities.

In 1972, the Government of Ontario was considerably reorganized as the various Departments of the government were restructured as Ministries. With this change, the Department of Education was renamed the Ministry of Education.

The Department of Education was responsible for the development, planning, co-ordination and administration of policies regarding schools in Ontario. Activities of the Department included: establishing regulations regarding the distribution of funds to schools boards; the certification and training of teachers; the creation of Model Schools and Normal Schools; the approval of textbooks; the appointment of inspectors; and the appointment of county examiners.

Act Respecting the Education Department, Statutes of Ontario 1876, Chap. 16

RAD: Rules for Archival Description, 2nd edn (2008)

2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM

Bishop, Olga. Publications of the Government of Ontario, 1867-1900 (1976)

MacTaggart, Hazel. Publications of the Government of Ontario, 1901-1955 (1964)

Canadiana Name Authorities, 1996-12- 24

Archivist(s):
G. Brown, S. Paquet, R. Stapleton, R. Anger