About Ontario

A Destination of Choice
Ontario's Strategy for K-12 International Education provides pathways for international students studying in Ontario, from elementary/secondary school to postsecondary education and beyond. The strategy" provides opportunities to embrance diversity and achieve excellence through learning about and from other cultures and education systems."

"We will strengthen our province and our country by teaching our young people to look past differences and seek commonality, and to appreciate and understand the global perspectives they will need to succeed in our diverse and interconnected world." Ontario's Strategy for K – 12 International Education, 2015

Internationalization of the Learning Environment
"All students can benefit from exposure to diverse cultures and perspectives, and gain a better understanding of their own world. The forces of economic and cultural globalization will have an impact on the future academic and employment prospects of all students, not just those with the resources or mobility to pursue international opportunities. Internationalization can therefore also be seen as a means of reducing geographic and social/economic barriers to student achievement." Ontario's Strategy for K – 12 International Education, 2015

Ontario's Achievements
In 2016, Ontario's five-year graduation rate was 86.5 per cent.

"A number of innovative programs introduced as part of the Student Success Strategy have helped improve the graduation rate. These include Specialist High Skills Majors, dual credits and expanded cooperative education. Instead of using a one-size fits all approach, students can customize their high school experience to match their strengths, interests and career goals, creating a more engaging learning environment, and better preparing them to pursue future opportunities." Mitzie Hunter, Minister of Education on Ontario's Graduation Rate

"Ontario students outperformed the vast majority of countries that participated in the OECD's 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and we are pleased that no jurisdiction outperformed Ontario students in reading. These results highlight Ontario's leadership when it comes to student achievement in all three PISA domains – science, reading and mathematics. Today, more students are graduating from high school than at any other time in Ontario's history." Mitzie Hunter, Minister of Education on PISA 2015 Results

McKinsey Report

In 2010, McKinsey & Company wrote a report "How the Worlds' Most Improved School Systems Keep Getting Better" that analyzed the experiences of 20 school systems from all parts of the globe that have achieved significant, sustained, and widespread gains, as measured by national and international standards of assessment. Ontario was identified as a 'sustained improver' on a trajectory from great to excellent.

As the report noted, Ontario has consistently achieved top-quartile mathematics scores and top-decile reading scores in PISA. Ontario's journey has focused on cultivating school-led innovation and improvement.

"Recognizing that improved teaching practices was the key improvement driver, it set an ambitious improvement aspiration, and tracked student learning data regularly to assess progress and direct support accordingly." How the Worlds' Most Improved School Systems Keep Getting Better, McKinsey & Company, 2010.