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Direct education payment programs

Media release, "Ombudsman to investigate direct education payment programs" (December 11, 2023) Investigation into the Ministry of Education’s direct payment programs for parents and students. Announced December 11, 2023. Case update (2024-2025 Annual Report) Case update (2023-2024 Annual Report) … …

Work permit woes

A student from abroad whose attendance at an Ontario university was dependent on his father’s federal work permit needed our help when the extension of his father’s permit was delayed. If his parent could not produce a current work permit, the university would charge him the tuition fee of an …
A student from abroad whose attendance at an Ontario university was dependent on his father’s federal work permit needed our help when the extension of his father’s permit was delayed.

Transcript tribulations

A man hoping to return to university needed a college transcript for courses he had taken several decades ago. He had been trying for more than two months to get a copy of his transcript, even though the college’s typical turnaround time for such requests was 7-10 days. Result: We raised his case …
A man hoping to return to university needed a college transcript for courses he had taken several decades ago.

Credit carryover

A student came to us for help after trying for months to get her out-of-province post-secondary credits recognized by her Ontario college of applied arts and technology. Result: After we intervened, the college agreed to review the coursework and confirmed with the student that her out-of-province …
A student came to us for help after trying for months to get her out-of-province post-secondary credits recognized by her Ontario college of applied arts and technology.

Without consent

A First Nations grandparent complained to us after a school board used medicated lice shampoo on one grandchild and attempted to use it on another, both times without consent. The grandparent likened this action to past treatment of Indigenous students in residential schools. Result: The family …
A First Nations grandparent complained to us after a school board used medicated lice shampoo on one grandchild and attempted to use it on another, both times without consent.

Helpful information

An international student at a college of applied arts and technology requested a tuition refund when he decided to leave his program and return home to India. The college told him he had missed its deadline to withdraw and receive a refund. He asked our Office for help, saying the financial …
An international student at a college of applied arts and technology requested a tuition refund when he decided to leave his program and return home to India.

Fair trade

A student sought our help after his college told him he would have to retake a trade course he had already effectively completed, which would delay his graduation and the full-time employment he had arranged. His college had given him under 48 hours to accept an opportunity to complete additional …
A student sought our help after his college told him he would have to retake a trade course he had already effectively completed, which would delay his graduation and the full-time employment he had arranged.

Course correction

A group of 50 students at a university reached out to our Office for help after they all failed the same course. The students, most of whom were international students, raised concerns about the instruction, grades and feedback they received from the university, and the financial consequences of …
A group of 50 students at a university reached out to our Office for help after they all failed the same course.

Submission to the Ministry of Education regarding integrity commissioners and meeting procedures for school board trustees

Submission to the Ministry of Education regarding integrity commissioners and meeting procedures for school board trustees Paul Dubé Ombudsman of Ontario April 2024 2 Submission to the Ministry of Education regarding integrity commissioners and school board meetings April 2024 ` Overview The …
The Ministry of Education has requested comments on three regulatory proposals related to school board governance and accountability.

Going the extra mile

A mother complained to us that her child’s school bus route was far too long, averaging four hours per day. We spoke to the school board superintendent, who said a driver shortage was affecting the route, but the local transportation consortium was working to hire and train new drivers. The …
A mother complained to us that her child’s school bus route was far too long, averaging four hours per day.

Section connection

A Francophone student complained to us that his French-language high school couldn’t provide him with a “section 23” program, which is support provided through the ministries of Education and Children, Community and Social Services to students who cannot attend school due to identified social, …
A Francophone student complained to us that his French-language high school couldn’t provide him with a “section 23” program, which is support provided through the ministries of Education and Children, Community and Social Services to students who cannot attend school due to identified social, emotional, behavioural or mental health needs.

Time to reconsider

A college student in an online learning program sought our help after he lost access to one of his courses. He complained that there wasn’t sufficient warning that there was a time limit to complete the course. The college pointed to its fine print, which explained the time limit, and told the …
A college student in an online learning program sought our help after he lost access to one of his courses.

Sound the alarm

A vendor complained to us after attempting to bid on a school board’s fire alarm testing contract. The board initially provided information about the bidding process, but later told the vendor only pre-qualified organizations could submit proposals. The vendor said he would have gone through the …
A vendor complained to us after attempting to bid on a school board’s fire alarm testing contract.

Submission to the Standing Committee on Social Policy regarding Bill 98, Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act, 2023

Submission to the Standing Committee on Social Policy regarding Bill 98, Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act, 2023 Paul Dubé Ombudsman of Ontario May 2023 2 Submission to the Standing Committee on Social Policy regarding Bill 98, Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act, 2023 May 2023 …
The Ombudsman of Ontario is appointed under the Ombudsman Act as an independent and impartial Officer of the Ontario Legislature.

Submission to the Ministry of Education’s consultation regarding school board governance

Submission to the Ministry of Education’s consultation regarding school board governance Paul Dubé Ombudsman of Ontario October 2021 2 Submission to Ministry of Education consultation on school board governance October 2021 Introduction: The Ombudsman’s role in improving school board governance The …
The Ontario Ombudsman oversees the administrative conduct of more than 1,000 public sector organizations, including the province’s 72 school boards and 10 school authorities, as well as provincial and demonstration schools.

Please remain seated

A man studying online for his real estate certification complained to us after he was accused of leaving his seat during a virtual exam and then locked out of the program. He insisted that he had never left his seat, and that a glitch in the virtual proctoring technology had mistakenly identified …
A man studying online for his real estate certification complained to us after he was accused of leaving his seat during a virtual exam and then locked out of the program.

Conversion confusion

A man who had accidentally submitted incorrect information to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) sought our help when OSAP converted his $32,000 grant to a loan. He told us that because of the mistake, OSAP had concluded that his wife was employed, when in fact she lived in Afghanistan …
A man who had accidentally submitted incorrect information to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) sought our help when OSAP converted his $32,000 grant to a loan.

Vaccination pass

A university student who was exclusively enrolled in online courses and as an online teaching assistant complained to us that he was “unenrolled” because he did not provide proof that he had received the COVID-19 vaccine. He complained that there was no clear appeal process, and no distinction was …
A university student who was exclusively enrolled in online courses and as an online teaching assistant complained to us that he was “unenrolled” because he did not provide proof that he had received the COVID-19 vaccine.

Far and unfair

We received a complaint from the father of a student with disabilities who resides during the week at a provincial demonstration school in southern Ontario. He said school officials had insisted that he pick up his daughter within two hours, because she was exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms. This was …
We received a complaint from the father of a student with disabilities who resides during the week at a provincial demonstration school in southern Ontario.

Strengthening the Designation: A Collaborative Effort

O N T A R I O O N TA R I O ’ S WATC H D O G Strengthening the Designation: A Collaborative Effort Investigation into Laurentian University’s cuts to French-language programming during restructuring and into the administration of the university’s designation by the Ministry of Francophone Affairs …
Investigation into Laurentian University’s cuts to French-language programming during restructuring and into the administration of the university’s designation by the Ministry of Francophone Affairs and the Ministry of Colleges and Universities