Bill 94, Education Amendment Act (Community Involvement), 2006

Versions

Bill 94 2006

An Act to amend the Education Act with respect to community involvement activity hours and board support

Note: This Act amends the Education Act. For the legislative history of the Act, see Public Statutes - Detailed Legislative History on www.e-Laws.gov.on.ca.

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

1. (1) Subsection 8 (1) of the Education Act is amended by adding the following paragraphs:

community involvement

2.1 require that students in the senior divisions complete no less than 80 hours of community involvement activities or a lesser number of hours that the Minister specifies, based on completing an approximately equal number of hours of the activities in each year of secondary school, before receiving their Ontario Secondary School Diploma;

. . . . .

policy and guidelines re community involvement

3.7 require that boards establish and maintain policies and guidelines on the community involvement activities on which students in the senior divisions are required to complete hours before receiving their Ontario Secondary School Diploma, including,

i. what activities qualify for that purpose, subject to subsection (2), and

ii. the way in which students can complete the required number of hours, which may include allowing the students to complete the hours in a summer or during the school day in circumstances that the boards specify;

(2) Section 8 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsection:

Community involvement

(2) If any part of the policies and guidelines of a board on the community involvement activities on which students in the senior divisions are required to complete hours before receiving their Ontario Secondary School Diploma prohibits students from participating in heritage and cultural events of a community as a means of completing the required hours, that part is void and of no effect.

2. (1) Subsection 170 (1) of the Act is amended by adding the following paragraphs:

policies and guidelines re community involvement

7.3 in accordance with the requirement under paragraph 3.7 of subsection 8 (1), establish and maintain policies and guidelines on the community involvement activities on which students in the senior divisions are required to complete hours before receiving their Ontario Secondary School Diploma, including,

i. what activities qualify for that purpose, subject to subsection 8 (2), and

joint teacher-student committee

7.4 if students in the senior divisions are required to complete hours of community involvement activities before receiving their Ontario Secondary School Diploma, establish a joint committee at every school under the jurisdiction of the board that is composed of teachers and students at the school;

(2) Section 170 of the Act is amended by adding the following subsection:

Committee on community involvement

(2.1) A joint committee established under paragraph 7.4 of subsection (1) shall oversee the community involvement activities in which the students are required to complete hours and assist the students in completing the hours by providing guidance about the meaning of community service, where the students can find eligible community involvement activities in their area and how they can complete and keep track of the hours.

Commencement

3. This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short title

4. The short title of this Act is the Education Amendment Act (Community Involvement), 2006.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Bill amends the Education Act to allow the Minister under the Act to require students in the senior divisions to complete no less than 80 hours of community involvement activities, or a lesser number of hours that the Minister specifies, before receiving their Ontario Secondary School Diploma and to require school boards to establish policies and guidelines on the community involvement activities on which students must complete hours for that purpose. The policies and guidelines cannot prohibit students from participating in heritage and cultural events of a community as a means of completing the requirement. School boards are required to establish joint teacher-student committees to assist students in completing their required hours.