Yes, our online services and call centre remain open as our staff are working remotely.

We will reassess this as the situation with COVID-19 continues to unfold and provide updates as soon as possible.

Yes. While our staff are working remotely, our processes and timelines are delayed.

We will provide more information as the situation continues to evolve. Please continue to check this page for updates. Thank you for your patience.

• We are receiving and processing mail, so wherever possible, institutions should continue to send their documents.
• Any document received electronically will be verified through the issuing institution.
• The College has pre-established mechanisms to receive electronic documents from a number of institutions (OUAC, National Student Clearing house, Parchment, My eQuals, TOEFL, IELTS, regulatory authorities and academic institutions and will continue to contact institutions to arrange for secure transfer of documents wherever possible.

Criminal record checks

The College understands that some police departments have recently made changes to their process to issue criminal record checks due to the situation with COVID-19. As a result, we are now accepting Criminal Record Checks (CRC) in either original (hard copy) or electronic/digital form.

The submission and criteria differ slightly for each one:

• If you have been issued an original (paper) CRC by a police department within Canada, you can send it to The Ontario College of Teachers, Membership Services, 101 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON, M5S 0A1. Once received, we will review it and be in touch if we need more information.
• If you have been issued an electronic/digital criminal record check by a police department within Canada, you can send it to info@oct.ca. Once received, we will review it and be in touch if we need more information.

Please contact your local police department for more information on how to obtain your CRC.

The College must be able to determine if these documents were sent directly from the issuing institution in order to confirm the authenticity and accuracy of the document received.

We are closing our offices for the health and safety of our employees, Council members and the public. This is in line with the prevention measures outline by the federal, provincial and municipal governments.

All of our online services, including E-Services and our online application continue to be available. We continue to review, evaluate and process applications.

As well, our Client Services team is available to take members’ calls.

No. Our physical offices remaine closed, but our staff are working remotely. Our other payment options are still available, including:

• Web/telephone banking. Add the Ontario College of Teachers as a payee to your bill payment listing with your financial institution. The payment number is under your College registration number. Payment numbers can also be accessed online through our Members’ area. Please allow up to 5 business days for payment processing.
• Phone with a credit card, Visa debit or MasterCard debit card by calling: 416.961.8800 (1.888.534.2222 toll-free in Ontario only) and accessing our automated payment system, which is available 24/7.

Our physical offices remain closed, but our staff are working remotely. We will reassess this as the situation with COVID-19 continues to unfold and provide updates as soon as possible.

Our Client Services team are available by phone from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. Please call us at 416.961.8800 or toll-free (Ontario only): 1.888.534.2222.

Please call us at 416.961.8800 or toll-free (Ontario Only): 1.888.534.2222. You can also reach us online.

Please note that our wait times are longer than normal and we respond to all inquiries (including emails and documents sent) in priority sequence. We ask that you refrain from sending follow-ups emails and documents as this additional correspondence may restart your position in the queue.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to work through our service delays.

We are doing our best to ensure this does not happen.

While our staff are working remotely, our processes and timelines may be delayed. We are working hard to resolve these delays as soon as possible and regret any inconvenience this has caused.

The College is processing any mail received at the College and is working with institutions to arrange for a secure transfer of documents in situations where an institution may be unable to issue and mail official documents.

Criminal record checks

The College understands that some police departments have recently made changes to their process to issue criminal record checks due to the situation with COVID-19. As a result, we are now accepting Criminal Record Checks (CRC) in either original (hard copy) or electronic/digital form.

The submission and criteria differ slightly for each one:

• If you have been issued an original (paper) CRC by a police department within Canada, you can send it to The Ontario College of Teachers, Membership Services, 101 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON, M5S 0A1. Once received, we will review it and be in touch if we need more information.
• If you have been issued an electronic/digital criminal record check by a police department within Canada, you can send it to info@oct.ca. Once received, we will review it and be in touch if we need more information.

Please contact your local police department for more information on how to obtain your CRC.

We will provide more information as the situation continues to evolve. Please continue to check this page for updates.

Yes, we are continuing to certify teachers, provided we have received complete applications, including all applicable fees and documents.

We are doing our best to ensure this does not happen.

While our staff are working remotely, our processes and timelines are delayed. This is due to a number of reasons, for example:

• other organizations not being able to provide documents at this time;
• delays in mail delivery and processing due to government health and safety guidelines.

We are working hard to resolve these delays as soon as possible and regret any inconvenience this has caused.

We will provide more information as the situation continues to evolve. Please continue to check this page for updates.

We are receiving mail from Canada Post on an intermittent basis. All mail is then opened and routed to the appropriate department for appropriate action.

Please note that while our staff are working remotely, our processes and timelines are delayed due to COVID-19.

The exemption applies to applicants who:

• are enrolled in a program of professional education at an Ontario faculty of education on, or after, March 17, 2020;
• have successfully completed a portion of their practicum;
• are unable to complete the remaining practicum solely because of COVID-19 related school closures;
• complete all other program of professional education components by December 31, 2020; and
• meet all other applicable certification requirements and are certified by December 30, 2023.

If Ontario applicants are not able to qualify for the exemption, they must successfully complete their entire practicum requirement and meet all applicable certification requirements in order to become certified.

Ontario applicants can now be certified with a condition to pass the test by December 31, 2021, provided they meet all other applicable certification requirements. We have worked closely with the government to provide Ontario applicants with more time to pass the math test, while enabling them to teach in the classroom.

If they do not pass the test by December 31, 2021, their certificate will expire and there will be no extensions. They will be required to pass the test and meet all other applicable certification requirements before reapplication.

Ontario applicants are individuals enrolled in, or who have completed, a program of professional education in Ontario. Please see the College’s Math Proficiency Test landing page to find out who is required to pass the test.

Ontario applicants who have written and successfully passed the test are already considered to have met this certification requirement and will not have this condition applied.

No. However, we have worked closely with the government to certify Ontario applicants with a condition to pass the test by December 31, 2021, provided they meet all other applicable certification requirements.

This provides applicants with more time to pass the test, while enabling them to teach in the classroom.

If they do not pass the test by December 31, 2021, their certificate will expire and there will be no extensions. They will be required to pass the test and meet all other applicable certification requirements before reapplication.

Ontario applicants who apply for a transitional certificate will be granted one with a condition to pass the math test by December 31, 2021, provided they meet all other applicable certification requirements.

If they do not pass the test by December 31, 2021, their certificate will expire and there will be no extensions. They will be required to pass the test, complete their teacher education program and meet all other applicable certification requirements before reapplication.

Please see the Registration Guides for more information on the transitional certificate.

All Ontario applicants who are certified with a condition to pass the test must do so by December 31, 2021. Otherwise, their certificate will expire and there will be no extensions. They will be required to pass the test and meet all other applicable certification requirements before reapplication.

If you are an Ontario applicant who does not meet the condition on your certificate to pass the test by December 31, 2021, your certificate will expire and there will be no extensions. You will need to pass the test and meet all other applicable certification requirements before reapplication.

As a result of public health measures taken to stop the spread of COVID-19, many Ontario applicants would not have been able to meet the math test certification requirement. This condition enables Ontario applicants to enter the profession while ensuring that they must still meet certification requirements.

Please visit the Mathematics Proficiency Test website for more information about testing availability.

These items are available through our OCT Membership app. They are also available online through your Member account. You will be able to print from there.

All Council and committee activities are limited to high priority critical items that are considered urgent, such as those driven by legislative, regulatory or bylaw compliance requirements or issues that would otherwise place the organization at risk. These meetings are being held virtually.

We already conduct some panel meetings and committee meetings remotely. Our Investigations & Hearings team will continue to facilitate panel meetings as reasonable and appropriate, during this period. In-person hearings are suspended until further notice.

While our physical office is closed we continue to receive mail from Canada Post and couriers on an intermittent basis. All mail and packages are opened in adherence with safety protocols and routed to the appropriate department for action.

No. While our physical office at 101 Bloor Street West in Toronto is closed due to COVID-19, we continue to work remotely. During this time, our processes and timelines may be delayed and some services can only resume when we reopen. However, when it is possible to do so, we will send documents by email (examples: documents that require translation, statements of professional standing).

No. To limit the spread of COVID-19, these sessions are postponed until further notice.

Yes.

Yes. As an Ontario Certified Teacher, you are subject to the College’s jurisdiction at all times.

Ontario Certified Teachers (OCTs):

• possess distinct knowledge and skills specific to teaching
• engage in ongoing learning throughout their careers.
• belong to a community of highly educated, responsible and caring practitioners who are committed to helping Ontario students develop and succeed.

All OCTs, along with their qualifications, can be found on our public register.

Yes. Regardless of your status, you are still an Ontario Certified Teacher, and therefore, subject to the College’s jurisdictions at all times.

No. This is outside of our mandate.

This should be discussed with parents directly.

This should be discussed between you and the parents.

However, the College strongly recommends that Ontario Certified Teachers follow the Ministry’s curriculum and safety guidelines. If in-person instruction is taking place, members should follow all public health and safety guidelines provided by their local public health unit.

Students who:

• Have applied for membership in the College, supplied all required documents, paid all fees, and met our registration requirements
• Have applied for the temporary certificate
• Are enrolled in an accredited Ontario teacher education program and are expected to successfully complete their program by December 31, 2021, have made successful progress in their program and, at the time of application, successfully completed a portion of their practicum requirement
• Have ensured that they have been reported as being eligible for the temporary certificate by their faculty of education.

Teachers with a limited certificate issued from another Canadian province or territory can also apply if it is similar to the temporary certificate.

2021 temporary certificate deadline extended
The Ministry of Education has recently announced that temporary certificate holders who were granted the temporary certificate in 2021 are able to request an extension to the current deadline from December 31, 2021 to June 30, 2022. There will be no further extensions permitted for the 2021 temporary certificate.

To request an extension to your 2021 temporary certificate, complete this form. To be eligible for the extension, we must be in receipt of your form before December 31, 2021.

Application for 2022 temporary certificate
The College is now accepting applications for temporary certificates from eligible teacher candidates who have successfully completed a portion of their practicum at the time of application and are expected to successfully complete the program by the end of 2022.
To apply for a temporary certificate, complete this form and ensure all outstanding documents on your application have been received, including a report from your faculty of education which confirms your eligibility for this certificate.

Please see our temporary certificate FAQ.

Please see our temporary certificate FAQ.

Ontario teacher candidates can apply for the temporary certificate if they:

• are expected to successfully complete their Ontario program of professional education by December 31,2021*
• have, as of the date of their application, successfully completed a portion of the practicum* and
• have made satisfactory progress in their program*

*As determined by reports made by Faculties of Education and sent to the College upon request of the teacher candidate. In order to be granted the temporary certificate, applicants must have also paid all necessary fees and meet all other applicable certification requirements.

Candidates must have applied for membership in the College, supplied all required documents, paid all fees, and met our registration requirements (These registration requirements include the holding of an acceptable postsecondary degree unless you are enrolled in a Native Language, First Nations, Métis, Inuit Ancestry or technological education initial teacher education program.)

Labour Mobility applicants may also apply for this temporary certificate – please see relevant section below for more information.

The temporary certificate enables Ontario teacher candidates to be employed as occasional teachers. This teaching experience may be used to satisfy practicum requirements, as determined by the faculty of education.

The temporary certificate can be granted on or after January 30, 2021 and expires on December 31, 2021, subject to the Mathematics Proficiency Test condition as described in the next question and answer. There are no extensions.

The temporary certificate may be converted into a general Certificate of Qualification and Registration if the College receives satisfactory evidence that:

• practicum and program requirements are completed before January 1, 2022, and
• any conditions on the certificate are satisfied, including successful completion of the Mathematics Proficiency Test by December 31, 2021.

Ontario applicants certified between January 31, 2021 and December 31, 2021 – An Ontario applicant who is required to pass the Mathematics Proficiency Test can be granted a temporary certificate with a condition to pass the test by December 31, 2021. If they do not pass the test by December 31, 2021, their certificate will expire and there will be no extensions. They cannot be granted another temporary certificate. They will be required to pass the test and meet all other applicable certification requirements before re-certification.

The temporary certificate may be converted into a general Certificate of Qualification and Registration if the College receives satisfactory evidence that:

• practicum and program requirements are completed before January 1, 2022, and
• any conditions on the certificate are satisfied, including successful completion of the Mathematics Proficiency Test by December 31, 2021.

Please see the College’s information on the Mathematics Proficiency Test.

If you have successfully completed your program of professional education, you may take AQ courses through a faculty of education. You will not be admitted into an AQ course without first having completed your program of professional education.

Please note that if you successfully complete an AQ course, the AQ will not appear on your Temporary Certificate of Qualification and Registration. Instead, once you convert your Temporary Certificate to a General Certificate of Qualification and Registration, the AQ will be reflected on the General Certificate provided that you meet all other requirements outlined in Part III of Regulation 176/10 to be awarded the qualification.

Teacher candidates who hold a Temporary Certificate of Qualification and Registration with a condition to successfully complete the Math Proficiency Test (MPT) and a condition to complete their program will need to complete both conditions in order to convert to a General Certificate of Qualification and Registration.

Should you complete the AQ course before your program of professional education is completed, the AQ will be considered by the College to have been taken for personal professional learning purposes and will not appear on your General Certificate of Qualification and Registration.

Please ensure that you arrange to have an official transcript sent directly to the College, confirming completion of the program of professional education. The College will also require a report from your faculty confirming completion of the program.

Yes, all temporary certificate holders are members of the College. As such, they are required to uphold the Standards of Practice and Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession and may be subject to investigation and discipline proceedings relating to complaints of professional misconduct, incompetence or incapacity.

Yes, all temporary certificate holders are members of the College. As such, they are required to uphold the Standards of Practice and Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession and may be subject to investigation and discipline proceedings relating to complaints of professional misconduct, incompetence or incapacity.

Holders of temporary certificates from another Canadian province or territory may be granted the temporary certificate if their out of province certification is deemed comparable to the temporary certificate and all other certification requirements are met. The Temporary Certificate may be granted on or after January 30, 2021 and expires on December 31, 2021. The temporary certificate may be converted into a general Certificate of Qualification and Registration if the College receives satisfactory evidence that practicum and program requirements are completed before January 1, 2022.

You can now request the temporary certificate online. Please see Registration Guides for application requirements.