Ombudsman's office resolves most complaints about schools without investigations (The Canadian Press

Ombudsman's office resolves most complaints about schools without investigations (The Canadian Press)

September 6, 2016

6 September 2016

TORONTO - The office of Ontario's ombudsman received more than 700 complaints in the first year it had oversight of school boards, but says 85 per cent were resolved without a formal investigation.

The Canadian Press
September 6, 2016

TORONTO - The office of Ontario's ombudsman received more than 700 complaints in the first year it had oversight of school boards, but says 85 per cent were resolved without a formal investigation.

Ombudsman Paul Dubé says he's had excellent co-operation from most of Ontario's 82 school boards, allowing his office to resolve some "difficult issues" without having to launch full investigations.

About one-third of the complaints were resolved when ombudsman staff provided simple referrals or information to the appropriate school or board officials.

Dubé says the most common topics of complaints about schools were student safety and security, special education, school and board staff, and busing.

In one case, a school board was told to establish a clear process for public complaints after a woman who tried to complain about two trustees was told it could only handle complaints from trustees, not the public.

The ombudsman was given jurisdiction over the province's school boards last September.