Funding for education in Ontario is driven by a provincial funding formula. Each year – usually in March – the Ministry of Education allocates funding to school boards through a series of formulae contained in the Grants for Student Needs (GSNs)and the Priorities and Partnerships Fund.

The Ministry of Education has requested feedback on education funding for the 2021-22 school year.

People for Education has a number of recommendations:

• Update demographic data to fund supports for students with greater needs

  • Approximately 14% of total funding in the GSNs is dependent on census data. But the province is currently using data from the 2006 Census. This outdated data has an impact on funding to support students with special needs and students who may struggle in school. For example, $373.4 million in the Learning Opportunities Grant  and $795 million in funding for Special Education is currently based on 2006 demographic data. This funding can be used for programs and resources such as special education teachers and educational assistants, smaller class sizes, breakfast programs,  guidance counsellors, homework clubs, and support staff.
  • People for Education recommends the province use data from the 2016 census to ensure funding for students with greater needs is both adequate and reflects the realities of school boards’ current populations.

• Reduce class sizes for mandatory online learning

  • As of the fall of 2020, high school students will be required to take two online classes to graduate. Class sizes for this mandatory e-learning will be funded at a rate of 30 students for every one teacher, significantly higher than in-person classes. An examination of the research has shown that to be effective, online learning requires as much focus on student engagement, similar time for individual attention, and equal amounts of evaluation and assessment as in-person learning.
  • People for Education recommends allocating funding for online learning at an average class size of 23 – the same as for in-person learning.

• Ongoing funding required to ensure effective COVID response

  • In 2020/21, the province – using a combination of federal and provincial funding – provided support to school boards to cover the costs of things like additional teachers, increased mental health resources, improved technology, and improvements to support health and safety. Many boards reported the funding was insufficient and researchers reported that racialized and low-income students were disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
  • People for Education recommends the province work with school boards to analyze the impact of COVID-19, and ensure that sufficient funding is in place for the coming year for ongoing needs including things such as additional staff, mental health supports, and technology.

• Full review of education funding

  • People for Education’s analysis of Ontario’s Grants for Student Needs for 2020/2021 showed that overall funding for education suffered a net loss of 1%. Over the last decade,  many reviewers, including the Auditor General have called for a full review of Ontario’s education funding formula to ensure that it is based on student need, up-to-date evidence, and reflects the impact of geographic and demographic realities. Among other things, updated policy and funding is needed to:
    • fully implement  the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action in Education
    • ensure that boards can keep smaller schools open with appropriate staff and programs for students, and consolidate schools where necessary
    • address the gaps in funding for Special Education that have resulted in the majority of boards spending more than they receive from the province to support students with special needs
    • address gaps in funding for Northern and rural school boards which have resulted in inequitable access to staff and programs such as guidance counsellors, teacher-librarians, specialist teachers, and psychologists and social workers. examine funding for support staff, and compensation for school board staff
  • People for Education recommends that the province constitute an expert panel to conduct a full review of education funding for Ontario’s 2 million students.

People for Education’s outline of the province’s consultation questions

The provincial government has released a consultation guide to support considered changes in education funding for 2021/22. The deadline for feedback is January 15, 2021.

Email your input by Jan 15th to: [email protected]