Ontario Welcomes Students From Haiti
February 16, 2010 3:38 PM
McGuinty Government Opens School Doors To Children And Waives Fees
In response to the recent earthquake in Haiti, the government has taken the necessary steps to allow children from Haiti who have been displaced prompt admission to Ontario's publicly funded schools without having to pay fees.
The Education Act requires school boards to charge a fee for educating students in Ontario who are temporary residents or who hold study permits. As a result of the earthquake, the government developed a Minister's regulation to ensure these students will be exempt from paying any fees.
Quick Facts
- Haitian children who arrive as refugees or landed immigrants will already be exempt from fees and therefore will not require this regulation.
- Prior to this regulation, children who arrived with "visitor status" would have had to pay fees to attend a publicly funded Ontario school.
- A similar regulation was developed in response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
- Emergency Management Ontario is coordinating the province's response to the situation in Haiti and continues to work with provincial ministries, the federal government and non-government organizations to determine what additional resources Ontario can provide.
Learn More
- Find out more about what Ontario is doing to help Haiti.
- View the Regulation text.
- For information on relief efforts
- and how to help.
- ontario.ca/education-news
Contacts
- Gary Wheeler
Communications Branch
416-325-2454
gary.s.wheeler@ontario.ca - Greg MacNeil
Minister's Office
416-325-0122
greg.macneil@ontario.ca
Ministry of Education
ontario.ca/education