Ontario’s Northern schools, 2006

People for Education, 2006.

The current provincial funding formula fails to sufficiently recognize or fund the unique needs of northern schools, and changes to the formula in 2005-2006 have added to the disadvantages for northern boards.

Ontario’s northern schools have fewer specialist teachers, less access to special education supports and fewer full-time principals than schools in the rest of the province.

Most northern boards cover very large geographical areas, and their schools are, for the most part, very small and very far apart. Northern schools have a number of other unique characteristics: their enrolment is rapidly declining, they have higher than average heating and busing costs, a high proportion of Aboriginal students, and less access to community supports.

• The average northern elementary school has 188 students, compared to an average enrolment of 356 in the rest of the province.
• Only 26% of northern secondary schools have a teacher-librarian, compared to 84% of secondary schools in the rest of the province.
• Most northern schools have no regular access to psychologists or social workers, despite having a high percentage of students who are considered at risk because of their socio-economic status.
• Compared to schools in the rest of the province, northern elementary schools have triple the percentage of elementary classes with three or more grades.
• Northern elementary schools are less likely to have music teachers, physical education teachers or guidance counsellors.

Staff in northern boards have introduced a number of unique programs to support students at risk and improve students’ test scores, but many of these programs are now in jeopardy because of insufficient funding and insufficient recognition of the unique needs of northern schools.