Ministry of Education (Ontario)

Ministry of Education
Ministère de l'Éducation (French)
Ministry overview
Formed1876 (as Department of Education)
1999 (in current form)
Preceding agencies
  • Department of Public Instruction (1850–1876)
  • Ministry of Education and Training (1993–1999)
JurisdictionGovernment of Ontario
Headquarters315 Front Street West
14th Floor
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 0B8
43°39′48.11″N 79°23′15.5″W / 43.6633639°N 79.387639°W / 43.6633639; -79.387639
Employees1,700+
Annual budget$34.5 billion (2022–2023 fiscal year)
Minister responsible
Websiteontario.ca/edu

The Ministry of Education (French: Ministère de l'Éducation) is the ministry of the Government of Ontario responsible for government policy, funding, curriculum planning and direction in all levels of public education, including elementary and secondary schools.

The ministry is responsible for curriculum and guidelines for all officially recognized elementary and secondary schools in the province and some outside the province. The ministry is also responsible for public and separate school boards across Ontario, but are not involved in the day-to-day operations.

The current minister of education is Paul Calandra.

A number of ministers of education have gone on to become premier of Ontario, including Arthur Sturgis Hardy, George Ross, John Robarts, Bill Davis, and Kathleen Wynne. Four premiers held the education portfolio themselves while premier. They were Howard Ferguson, George Henry, George Drew and John Robarts. All four of them served as their own education minister for the full duration of their premiership.