History of Special Education in Ontario
1950: The Hope Report
The hope report was a significant Ontario milestone.
It made the following recommendations:
The report had little immediate impact on education policy. It took fifty years for some of the recommendations to be implemented.
1960s: Decade of education reform
1962: The Robarts Plan/ Separate initiative
The government of Ontario repealed almost all of its human rights laws in order to make way for the Ontario Human Rights code, the first comprehensive human rights code in Canada.
The code affirmed the right to equal access to services, including education.
1970s: Implementation of further reforms
The major reforms initiated in previous decades were implemented in Ontario classrooms.
Programs and services for students with special needs were still lacking.
School boards were still not required to offer special education programs and services, although some did.
It wasn't until the end of the decade that a greater focus was directed at special eduction.
1980s: Focus on special education
December 12 1980: An act to amend the education act, often referred to as Bill 82 came into effect in Ontario
This legislation, which had a significant impact on special education in the province, was part of a world wide movement towards providing all children with the opportunity for a publicly funded education, regardless of disabilities.
The passage of Bill 82 meant that for the first time, school boards in Ontario were required to provide special education programs and services to exceptional pupils or to purchase these services through an agreement with another publicly funded school board.
In the past:
Children with disabilities stayed at home without attending any school, while others might have been accommodated in private school settings, often run by parents or volunteers.
Following the enactment of the Education Amendment Act of 1980 (bill 82), school boards were given five years to establish their special education plans, in consultation with their SEACs.
The past decade
The last decade- Meeting special education needs
1991 The Ministry of Education stated:
"The integration of exceptional pupils into local community classrooms should be the norm in Ontario, wherever possible, when such a placement meets the pupil's needs, and when it is according to parental choice."
1994: Memorandum
The Ministry of Education and Training remains committed to the principle that the integration of exceptional pupils should be the normal practice in Ontario, when such a placement meets the pupil's needs and is in accordance with parental wishes. A range of options including placement in a special class or provincial or demonstration school will continue to be available for pupils whose needs cannot be met within the regular classroom."
1995: Report of the Royal Commission on Learning, recommended the integration of students with special needs into regular classrooms, with classroom support when necessary, while acknowledging the appropriateness of other placements, including acceleration for gifted students.
Ongoing supports
2005: The ministry established the expert panel on literacy and numeracy instruction for students with special education needs to recommed practices based on research, that would allow Ontario's teachers to improve and reinforce effective instruction of reading, writing, and oral communication and mathematics to students from Kindergarten to Grade 6 who have special education needs.
This resulted in the publication Education for all: The report of the expert panel on literacy and numeracy instruction for students with special education needs.
2007/2008: The ministry funded and provided training in partnership with Geneva Center for Autism and PPM 140. Incorporating Methods of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) programs into school boards.
Student assessment
The ministry of Education provided 20 million dollars to the Ontario Psychological Association (OPA) to reduce current waiting times for students who require assessments and to enhance teachers' capacity to provide effectve programs, based on assessment information, for students in junior kindergarten to Grade 4.
Supports for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students
The Canadian hearing Society was provided funding to assist the Ministry of Education with its goals of providing barrier-free education to deaf and hard of hearing students attending Ontario publicly funded schools.
retrieved from: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/research/speced_aera_csse.pdf
The hope report was a significant Ontario milestone.
It made the following recommendations:
- Compulsory school attendance from age 6 to 16.
- Universal kindergarten programs
- The abolition of Grade 13
- A significant expansion of special education programs to serve children with learning disabilities.
The report had little immediate impact on education policy. It took fifty years for some of the recommendations to be implemented.
1960s: Decade of education reform
1962: The Robarts Plan/ Separate initiative
The government of Ontario repealed almost all of its human rights laws in order to make way for the Ontario Human Rights code, the first comprehensive human rights code in Canada.
The code affirmed the right to equal access to services, including education.
1970s: Implementation of further reforms
The major reforms initiated in previous decades were implemented in Ontario classrooms.
Programs and services for students with special needs were still lacking.
School boards were still not required to offer special education programs and services, although some did.
It wasn't until the end of the decade that a greater focus was directed at special eduction.
1980s: Focus on special education
December 12 1980: An act to amend the education act, often referred to as Bill 82 came into effect in Ontario
This legislation, which had a significant impact on special education in the province, was part of a world wide movement towards providing all children with the opportunity for a publicly funded education, regardless of disabilities.
The passage of Bill 82 meant that for the first time, school boards in Ontario were required to provide special education programs and services to exceptional pupils or to purchase these services through an agreement with another publicly funded school board.
In the past:
Children with disabilities stayed at home without attending any school, while others might have been accommodated in private school settings, often run by parents or volunteers.
Following the enactment of the Education Amendment Act of 1980 (bill 82), school boards were given five years to establish their special education plans, in consultation with their SEACs.
The past decade
The last decade- Meeting special education needs
1991 The Ministry of Education stated:
"The integration of exceptional pupils into local community classrooms should be the norm in Ontario, wherever possible, when such a placement meets the pupil's needs, and when it is according to parental choice."
1994: Memorandum
The Ministry of Education and Training remains committed to the principle that the integration of exceptional pupils should be the normal practice in Ontario, when such a placement meets the pupil's needs and is in accordance with parental wishes. A range of options including placement in a special class or provincial or demonstration school will continue to be available for pupils whose needs cannot be met within the regular classroom."
1995: Report of the Royal Commission on Learning, recommended the integration of students with special needs into regular classrooms, with classroom support when necessary, while acknowledging the appropriateness of other placements, including acceleration for gifted students.
Ongoing supports
2005: The ministry established the expert panel on literacy and numeracy instruction for students with special education needs to recommed practices based on research, that would allow Ontario's teachers to improve and reinforce effective instruction of reading, writing, and oral communication and mathematics to students from Kindergarten to Grade 6 who have special education needs.
This resulted in the publication Education for all: The report of the expert panel on literacy and numeracy instruction for students with special education needs.
2007/2008: The ministry funded and provided training in partnership with Geneva Center for Autism and PPM 140. Incorporating Methods of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) programs into school boards.
Student assessment
The ministry of Education provided 20 million dollars to the Ontario Psychological Association (OPA) to reduce current waiting times for students who require assessments and to enhance teachers' capacity to provide effectve programs, based on assessment information, for students in junior kindergarten to Grade 4.
Supports for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students
The Canadian hearing Society was provided funding to assist the Ministry of Education with its goals of providing barrier-free education to deaf and hard of hearing students attending Ontario publicly funded schools.
retrieved from: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/research/speced_aera_csse.pdf