News Release


Helping Boards Manage Impact Of Fewer Students

McGuinty Government Receives Report About Declining Student Enrolment

March 20, 2009

Recommendations on how Ontario can address the impact of declining student enrolment and continue advancing student achievement are outlined in an expert panel report delivered to the province.

The report from the Declining Enrolment Working Group recommends proactive, longer-term planning by school boards to better support all students in the system and ease the transition to lower enrolment. Based on the recommendations, the province is encouraging boards to discuss the challenges and opportunities of enrolment decline with their local communities and explore partnerships with other boards to maximize the use of business services and facilities.

The government will continue to review the report to identify other recommendations that could be implemented in the future.

Quotes

"I'd like to thank the group for their time, effort and valuable advice. With a challenging economic climate and declining numbers of students, it's never been more critical to manage money wisely and use resources effectively at our publicly funded schools."
– Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Education

"We recognize the reality of changing demographics and that the school-aged population is shrinking. I'm confident that our recommendations will help school communities address issues related to declining enrolment so that students are well-served within a strong publicly funded education system."
– Eleanor Newman, group co-chair and former director of education at Renfrew County District School Board

"Ontario educators and board administrators, municipal leaders, students and parents told us that they want to be part of the solution to declining enrolment. With their partnership, and by working together, I'm certain that the recommendations will help to address the issues of declining enrolment to ensure more students succeed."
– Dave Levac, MPP for Brant and group co-chair

Quick Facts

  • Enrolment in Ontario schools declined by 90,000 students between 2002-03 and 2008-09.
  • Between 2008-09 and 2012-13, enrolment is projected to decline by 56,000 students.
  • The funding formula has already been reformed to introduce a variety of specific measures that help boards adjust to declining enrolment.

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