Changes to certification requirements due to COVID19
April 24 2020
This information is outdated. Please see the updated information.
A message to teacher candidates enrolled in an Ontario faculty of education program and completing their final semester of the two-year program
Practicum
Ontario applicants will not have to complete their remaining practicum to qualify for certification if they are unable to do so solely because of school closures related to COVID-19. College Council recommended regulatory changes at a special meeting Friday April 17, 2020 and the provincial cabinet approved the changes on Wednesday April 22, 2020.
An exemption in the Teachers’ Qualifications Regulation means that candidates in their fourth semester of a four-semester teacher education program at Ontario’s faculties of education will not be required to complete remaining practicum to qualify for certification if they are unable to do so solely because of school closures.
All other program components must be completed by December 31, 2020 or the day after Ontario’s state of emergency is over (whichever is later) and Ontario applicants must apply and be certified by December 30, 2023 otherwise they will not be able to make use of this exemption and they will have to complete their remaining practicum in order to become certified.
The College will provide further updates on its website as new information becomes available.
Mathematics Proficiency Test
The College has worked closely with the government in order to enable Ontario faculty of education teacher candidates who complete their application on or after March 31, 2020, to be certified, with condition. The condition stipulates that the applicant must successfully complete the Math Proficiency Test by December 31, 2021.
Until recently, this Math Proficiency Test had been a prerequisite to obtain College certification. An amendment to the Proficiency in Mathematics Regulation made under the Ontario College of Teachers Act now means that Ontario applicants who meet all other applicable certification requirements will be granted initial certification with a condition to pass the test by December 31, 2021. If they do not meet this condition by this date, their certificate will expire.
A complete application includes the receipt of all required documentation and fees by the College.
The Ministry of Education will work with the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) on options to administer the test online. Test centres will continue to offer in-person testing once public health officials advise that it is safe to do so.
The College will provide updates on its website as new information becomes available.
