Skip to content Ontario.ca Français

School Funding - A Guide for Parents

The Provincial Perspective: Funding to Support Student Achievement

Education matters! Your child is part of one of the largest publicly funded education systems in the world. We have approximately two million students attending about 5,000 schools. Ontario's education budget is large – second only to health care.

That investment in education is key to the future of our students and to the social and economic future of our province.

Two main factors have shaped decisions about education funding in recent years – the need to improve student achievement and to make funding more responsive to local needs.

Raising student achievement

Your child is attending school at one of the most exciting times in the history of Ontario's education system. Since 2003 the Ministry of Education, your district school board, and your school have been part of a provincewide effort to improve student achievement.

If you are the parent of a high school student, ask your principal or vice-principal about the new programs that are helping more students graduate. Parents of elementary school students may ask about the new teaching strategies for reading, writing and math.

We are already seeing positive results:

• Higher reading, writing and mathematics achievement by elementary students
• More students graduating from high school
• Smaller class sizes and more individual attention for students in junior kindergarten to Grade 3.

Did you know?

View larger chart (PDF, 122 KB)

The number of students entering Ontario's schools has been declining since 2003. This trend is expected to continue into 2010.