The Ontario College of Teachers licenses, governs and regulates the province’s teaching profession in the public interest and to protect students. All publicly funded school teachers and administrators in Ontario must be licensed by us and be Ontario Certified Teachers (OCT).
The College regulates the teaching profession to protect students. Teachers in Ontario’s publicly funded elementary and secondary schools must be certified by the College, keep their membership in good standing, and follow the profession’s ethical and practice standards.
Explore everything related to your Ontario College of Teachers certification, including how to pay your annual fees, keep up to date with the College, and stay informed about ongoing professional learning.
You must apply to be certified by the Ontario College of Teachers and remain in good standing to teach in Ontario’s publicly funded elementary and secondary schools.
The College provides information and resources to support Ontario Certified Teachers (OCTs), applicants and education system partners to strengthen the teaching profession and promote student safety.
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The Council of the Ontario College of Teachers approved the Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession in 1999 and the Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession in 2000.
The Council, at that time, recognized that the standards need to reflect the evolving nature of the profession and consequently passed a motion to review the standards of practice and the ethical standards after five years. This review process was completed in 2006.
The ethical standards and the standards of practice have become a catalyst for much discussion and debate about the nature of teaching and the profession.
Members of the College, educational partners, parents/guardians, students and the public have had the opportunity to participate in the review of the standards.
A series of structured data gathering activities over the past two years have provided additional insights into both the strengths and the limitations of the ethical standards and the standards of practice.
Data was collected during the review through the following:
The review was conducted in five phases:
Council approved the revised standards on June 9, 2006.
