TORONTO — Ontario’s Education Minister Paul Calandra is set to unveil sweeping legislation that would significantly expand the provincial government’s authority over school boards and post-secondary institutions, The Canadian Press has learned.
The legislation, expected to be tabled today, will give the education minister broad new powers to place school boards under supervision for reasons beyond financial mismanagement — including cases where public interest or board dysfunction impedes governance. One government example cites “board governance dysfunction that is preventing key decisions from being made.”
This legislative move follows Calandra’s April decision to appoint a supervisor to oversee a financially mismanaged school board, with three other boards also under financial investigation. At the time, the minister warned that all school boards were now “on notice.”
Police Back in Schools — Whether Boards Want It or Not
One of the most controversial aspects of the proposed bill is the province’s plan to compel school boards to adopt School Resource Officer (SRO) programs if offered by local police services. While some Ontario boards continue these partnerships voluntarily, others dismantled them in recent years following community concerns — particularly from racialized students — over discomfort and intimidation.
According to government materials accompanying the legislation, the presence of school police officers is intended to “help build relationships between youth and police, actively promote positive behaviour and create a culture of mutual respect.”
More Ministerial Control: Transparency, School Names, and Trustee Expenses
The proposed bill would also give the minister the authority to:
-
Direct boards to publicly disclose the expenses of trustees, directors of education, and other board officials;
-
Intervene in the naming of new schools or renaming of existing ones.
These measures are part of what the government describes as a broader push for transparency and standardized accountability across Ontario’s education system.
Postsecondary Overhaul: Fee Transparency and Merit-Based Admissions
Significant changes are also in store for Ontario’s colleges and universities. The legislation would require:
-
Merit-based admissions policies;
-
Public reporting on how tuition revenues are spent;
-
Greater oversight and transparency of ancillary fees — charges for non-academic services — with new regulations to define core services and an opt-out framework.
This initiative echoes the Ford government’s earlier attempt to implement the “Student Choice Initiative” in 2019, which made some fees, such as student union dues, optional. That initiative was struck down by Ontario’s top court, but this new legislation aims to revive aspects of that policy with more regulatory consultation and structure.
Children’s Aid Societies Also Under the Microscope
Also folded into the new legislation are expanded oversight powers over children’s aid societies. The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services had already launched a review last fall, and the bill would authorize the government to scrutinize financial decisions by these organizations — with exact details to be determined through future regulations.
A Centralized Approach to Education Governance
If passed, the new legislation would mark a shift toward centralized control in Ontario’s education sector, consolidating more authority within the Ministry of Education and other provincial bodies.
Minister Calandra’s office has framed the bill as a necessary move to ensure transparency, student safety, and efficient governance — but critics are likely to raise alarms about local autonomy, equity concerns, and the long-term impact on student-police relationships.
The legislation is expected to draw significant attention from educators, trustees, student groups, and civil liberties advocates in the weeks to come.
