ONTARIO-The Ontario government is expanding Student and Family Support Offices to all 72 school boards across the province,
The government says starting today, every school board has an office in place as an additional way to help families get answers on broader community concerns, navigate complex issues and receive the information and support they need.
Parents can find contact information for the Student and Family Support Office on their local school board’s main webpage.
“Parents should have a clear and consistent way to raise concerns and get answers when it comes to their child’s education,” said Paul Calandra, Minister of Education. “We are strengthening accountability across our school boards and making sure families can get the support they need when they need it. Everything we are doing is focused on improving student achievement and ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed.”
Student and Family Support Offices review concerns raised by parents to help address matters that need to be escalated following initial engagement with a child’s teacher and principal. As part of their mandate, these offices streamline the response process for families by acknowledging inquiries within two business days and aiming to provide an answer within five business days. School boards are also expected to ensure responses to parent inquiries are conducted in a clear manner that is easily understood by a parent and include relevant and accurate information that addresses the specific inquiry according to the province.
The Ministry of Education will collect information regularly from all 72 school boards to identify patterns and trends about the types of concerns parents are raising, helping to find ways to improve processes so students and families receive better support.
Student and Family Support Offices have already been operating in supervised school boards, with 95 per cent of family inquiries acknowledged within two business days and nearly 90 per cent receiving a response within five business days or an estimated response date for more complex matters according to government officials. The experience from these offices has helped inform the expansion of this consistent approach to all school boards across the province.
