Registration review

Participants find fairness in College process

The College’s commitment to a fair and welcoming registration process has been acknowledged by applicants and outside observers in a review of the College’s practices.

A majority of the internationally educated teachers (IETs) and community organizations involved in the months-long review judged the College’s registration practices as transparent, impartial, objective and fair. However, they said that under­standing the process does not mean it is easy to complete. Most respondents under­stood – some even appreciated – Ontario’s high standards for its teachers, but still felt registering was onerous and lengthy. IETs unanimously agreed that obtaining the required documents from their country of origin presented the greatest challenge for them.

They also said that more attention is needed in the areas of language proficiency, recognition of credentials and document expectations where originals are not available.

“We’ve taken significant steps to reduce or eliminate many of the barriers to registration, particularly for newcomers to Canada,” College Registrar Brian McGowan said. “But there is still work to be done.”

The Registrar said he would report new developments resulting from the review as part of his report at the beginning of each Council meeting. Any options for regulatory development or changes to existing legislation will proceed to Council for consideration.

The College review followed provincial government legislation that was passed in 2006. Bill 78, the Education Statute Law Amendment Act (Student Performance), amended the Ontario College of Teachers Act to require that “any decisions made with respect to an applicant are transparent to and understandable by that applicant, with due respect to his or her individual circumstances.”

In December 2006, Bill 124, the Fair Access to Regulated Professions Act, was passed to ensure that “regulated professions and individuals applying for registration by regulated professions are governed by registration practices that are transparent, objective, impartial and fair.” The legislation affected all of Ontario’s self-regulated professions.

The Fair Access to Regulated Professions Act created the Office of the Fairness Commissioner and the expectation for periodic audits of regulators’ registration practices.

The Act established the Fair Registration Practices Code detailing the specific duties of a regulator with respect to registration processes for all members, including those educated outside Canada.

The Registrar initiated a review in March 2007 based on the code’s requirements to inform the College’s upcoming work with the Fairness Commission and prepare for an initial registration audit.

The consultation results indicate that the College’s practices are consistent with Ontario’s expectations. However, the feedback also highlighted areas where changes and modifications to practices and processes would better address the needs of ap­plicants seeking licensure.

The Registrar and an external advisory committee comprising government, regulatory and sector representatives provided guidance throughout the process to a staff work group and feedback on the final report.

Last August, the College hosted facilitated review sessions in Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa and Windsor – areas with the highest concentration of IETs. Two-hour review sessions were held with IETs in the morning and with local organizations assisting newcomers to Canada in the afternoon. Fifty community organizations participated.

As part of the review, the College provided details about the work it had done and invited additional comment on the information it provides, the timeliness of its decisions, responses and reasons, the appeals process, qualification requirements, how qualifications are assessed, how staff and those making decisions are trained, and how applicants can access their records.

Fifty-five IETs attended the sessions, representing countries including Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cameroon, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, France, India, Iraq, Nigeria, Scotland, South Africa, Romania, Yugoslavia and Zimbabwe. Forty per cent were certified teachers. The others were in the process of applying. French-language representation measured 25 per cent.

As well, 2,500 people were invited to provide written submissions. Those who had recently been denied certification were offered the chance to provide detailed feedback based on their more advanced dealings with the College.

The final report reflects the observations, concerns and hopes of newly certified teachers and recent applicants, those who were denied certification, parents, students, teacher federations, government representatives, community groups and College members.

International applicants urged the College to view the registration process from their perspective to better understand the obstacles and issues they face.

Among the recommendations, the College heard encouragement to:

  • ensure that information on the web site is clear, in plain language and widely available
  • enable all applicants to track the progress of their applications online
  • provide clear timelines and associated costs for each phase of the registration process
  • enable applicants to appeal registration decisions orally or
  • in writing
  • meet with third-party service providers to ensure that practices are fair, for example, the administration of language-proficiency tests by approved test providers
  • impart clear information on the provision of alternate documents required to prove qualifications
  • examine alternatives for those who cannot afford fees for access to records.
  • Regulatory implications from the review that would require Council approval included recommendations to review the relevance of 194 days of teaching experience, investigate the development of an orientation program and determine alternative documents that would be acceptable to the Registrar in place of Statements of Professional Standing.
Top of Page