Links to Teachers' Licensing
As an applicant, you must reside anywhere in Canada when you request to have your qualifications recognized by the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT). You must have authorization for employment in Canada. To be authorized to work in Canada, you must be a landed immigrant, Canadian citizen or have a work permit.
These websites have been chosen because you may find them helpful as you look into what is required if you wish to work as a teacher in Ontario.
The Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship worked together to develop a document which outlines the steps and requirements for becoming a teacher, as well as associated fees. The document's name is Access to the teaching profession in Ontario and it can be found in these two places:
The Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) is a regulatory body responsible for teachers’ certification. To practise as a teacher and to use the title of Teacher in publicly funded schools in Ontario you must possess a Certificate of Registration and a Certificate of Qualification from the OCT.
- Contact the OCT
You can contact the College before or after you come to Ontario and request a copy of the "Registration Guide for Teachers Trained Outside Ontario or Outside Canada". The registration guide describes all the requirements and applicable fees. - Language
Proficiency Requirement
Obtain proof of proficiency in English or French by completing a language proficiency test. Language skills are a key component of being a good teacher and the Ontario College of Teachers requires proof of your abilities. Here you will find where to go about either English or French testing. - Thinking
about becoming a teacher
This PDF format brochure outlines these basic requirements:- An undergraduate degree and a BEd or equivalent. To teach Grades 7 to 10 you need to qualify as an expert in one subject. To teach Grades 11 and 12, you must be qualified to teach two subjects.
- Take the Ontario Teacher Qualifying Test and then apply to become a member of the Ontario College of Teachers. Your registration with the College is your license to teach in Ontario.
The Foreign-Trained Teachers Association describes the licensing process and the requirements to become a teacher in Ontario. You will also find a description of the Alternative Teacher Accreditation Program for Teachers with International Experience (ATAPTIE) offered by Queen's University in Kingston. The program seeks to supplement the training of foreign-trained teachers and to prepare them to enter into the profession in Canada. According to a Toronto Training Board report, 27 candidates from 18 different countries were enrolled in the 2002-2003 program. You may want to explore the ATAPTIE home website http://educ.queensu.ca/~ataptie/pages/directory.html as well.
Teachers from abroad is a section of the Canadian Teachers' Federation (CTF) website. It describes general requirements common to all provinces in Canada.
The Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC) is a
source for information on recognition of academic and professional qualifications
in Canada. It informs foreign-trained
secondary school teachers and foreign-trained
elementary school teachers about the requirements to practise in Canada
and links to relevant provincial authorities.
Click here if
you want to clarify terminology used by this website either in English or French.
This is a PDF document. to look up a term, use the PDF document's Find button
from the toolbar.
Private schools are not required to hire certified teachers. According to the
Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA), only about 2,000 teachers
at Ontario's more than 700 private schools are members of the College of Teachers.
The Federation of Independent
Schools in Canada lists requirements to teach in the private sector. Scroll
down to Ontario.
If you want to attend an information session about the licensing process, check out these websites on a regular basis or contact the organizations directly. Scroll down the website or use the CTRL-F shortcut on your keyboard to search by teacher in order to find teacher-related information.
- Newcomer
Information Centres (NIC)
Scroll down to the Information Sessions list. - Settlement.org - Upcoming events
- Skills for Change - Calendar
Networking
Reading teachers' journals, as well as networking with your colleagues, will
broaden your awareness and understanding of educational standards in Ontario.
Here are a few links:
- Professionally Speaking is a publication of the Ontario College of Teachers and is available online. Some other OCT publications are available online as well.
- Education Network of Ontario
Provides online conferences and forums for educators and students in Ontario. - Independent Schools Network (ISnet)
An electronic international educational community of independent schools. - Media
Awareness Network for Teachers
Media education resources and ideas to share with others. Canadian focus.