Ontario. Dept. of Public Instruction

• Department of Public Instruction

• Canada (Province). Dept. of Public Instruction

The Department of Public Instruction was created by legislation in 1850. The Department was comprised of the Council of Public Instruction, the Education Office, and the Educational Depository (renamed the Depository Branch in 1873). The Department was headed by the Chief Superintendent of Education, Egerton Ryerson, and reported to the Executive Council and the Legislative Assembly through the Provincial Secretary.

In 1857 the Educational Museum was established and the Department library was also created, collecting works on education, educational reports from various parts of the world, text-books, Parliamentary records, and original works bearing on the history of British North America.

In February, 1876, the Department of Public Instruction was replaced by the Ontario Department of Education.

The Department of Public Instruction was the main governmental body responsible for the supervision of the education and library system of Canada West (later Ontario), as well as for the development of education policy. Among its responsibilities, the Department administered the Provincial Normal and Model Schools, examined and certified teachers, prepared regulations, approved and supplied text books and other learning materials to schools, supplied school library books, published the Journal of Education, inspected Grammar schools, and paid school grants.

Act for the Better Establishment and Maintenance of Common Schools in Upper Canada, Statutes of the Province of Canada 1850, Chap. 48

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

2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM

Bishop, Olga. Publications of the Government of the Province of Canada, 1841-1867 (1963)

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

Canadiana Name Authorities, 1996-12- 24

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