News and News Releases

For the Ontario College of Teachers (the College), this year’s Truth and Reconciliation Week theme, Taking Truth to Action, means examining how we regulate the teaching profession and identifying where barriers still exist.

Over the past year, the College has taken tangible action within its regulatory mandate to help remove barriers, support Indigenous self-determination and create new opportunities for Indigenous educators and communities.

Expanding leadership opportunities for Ontario Certified Teachers (OCTs)

For many years, Indigenous languages teachers and teachers of Indigenous ancestry who did not hold an acceptable postsecondary degree were unable to enter part one of the Principal’s Qualification Program (PQP), an important step toward pursuing school leadership positions.

The College responded by introducing alternative qualification criteria for OCTs in these eligible groups. The changes provide access to the existing PQP pathway while recognizing the knowledge, experience and leadership potential these educators bring to Ontario’s schools and communities.

Indigenous-led initial teacher education

Amendments to Ontario Regulation 347/02, Accreditation of Teacher Education Programs, approved by College Council on September 1, now enable eligible Indigenous Institutes to seek College accreditation to offer initial teacher education programs.

This change removes a structural barrier to Indigenous-led teacher preparation and supports Indigenous self-determination in postsecondary education.

Developing a new certification pathway for teachers of Indigenous languages

Currently, Indigenous language speakers must complete an initial teacher education program before they can apply for certification as Ontario Certified Teachers in Indigenous Languages.

The College is working with the Government of Ontario and Indigenous community partners to develop an alternative pathway to certification. Under the proposed model, First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities could establish endorsement circles or committees to assess and endorse Indigenous language speakers who have not completed an initial teacher education program.

Once implemented through regulation, the proposed pathway would remove a credential barrier and create more opportunities for Indigenous languages to be taught, promoted and preserved.

Truth and Reconciliation in the Professional Standards

Recently, the College released refreshed Professional Standards that, for the first time, explicitly recognize a commitment to Truth and Reconciliation as a professional responsibility.

The refreshed standards help embed Truth and Reconciliation within the professional expectations for Ontario Certified Teachers and represent an important step in aligning the teaching profession with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action for education.

A shared foundation for sustained action

While these initiatives affect different areas of the College's work, they share a common foundation. Each has been informed by engagement with Indigenous communities and partners, and each reflects a commitment to removing barriers and creating space for Indigenous voices, knowledge and perspectives within the systems that shape Ontario's teaching profession.