• OFIS FACTS

    OFIS - The Ontario Federation of Independent Schools - is a legally incorporated, duly constituted service association for independent schools, established in 1974....

    "Parents have a prior right to FREELY choose the kind of education that shall be given to their child" – 1948 UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 26, Section 3...

  • APPLY FOR OFIS MEMBERSHIP
    2014/15 Membership Applications are now available for download. Click here for details and application. Already a Member? Don’t forget to keep your membership current and renew by September 1st annually!
  • WE ASK YOU
    Funding For Independent Schools
    Should Ontario provide financial relief to parents who send their children to independent schools?

Welcome to OFIS

From The OFIS Office

  During the summer, the OFIS Office is open Tuesday through Thursday from 9am to 4pm. Staff are frequently away from the office on schools visits and consultations - messages can be left by both voicemail and email which is monitored regularly.    The OFIS Office will be closed from Monday August 3 to Sunday August 17 for staff vacation. Beginning Monday August 18, regular office hours will resume - Monday through Friday - 9am to 4pm    

What is OFIS?

OFIS is the largest, fastest growing, most diverse independent school association. We exist to:

  • connect  independent schools in a network that shares resources, provides professional development for school leaders, offers administrative and policy support
  • advocate  for access to government education resources making them available to independent schools
  • protect and support true parental choice in education by providing public information and ensuring independent schools’ right to reasonable self-definition
  • encourage greater public awareness and appreciation for independent schools’ contributions to the provincial educational landscape by promoting standard-setting leadership in member schools

Health & Safety Awareness Training

Policy Development Workshop - May 22 - 6-9pm - Holiday Inn Burlington - Hotel & Conference Centre - New Mandatory Health & Safety Awareness Training Programme required 'in place' by July 1st, 2014.  Join us over dinner, to develop your Health and Safety Awareness Training Programme.

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Spring Learning Day - Eastern Ontario - Kingston

Regional Session - May 27 - 9am - 4pm - Leahurst College - Kingston, ON - "What You Don't Know COULD Hurt You" - 2014 has already proven to be a year of record political and legal changes. Join us for a rapid fire presentation explaining all of these issues and providing you with a compliance checklist to prepare for same.

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Bill 143 - Private School Leadership Session - Government Relations

Workshop - Thursday, February 20 2014 - 12:00pm-3:00pm - Burlington Convention Centre OFIS and CCMA are pleased to join forces in offering this SECOND government relations information session to independent school leaders.  Updates on Bill 143's status, tips on how to use important tools in responding to Bill 143 and further strategizing on action plan items are all on the agenda for the afternoon. 

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Private Schools: A Revolution In Global Education?

March 30 2014 - Toronto Star - Charles Kenny - In developing countries, private schools are a big deal, too, and they play a very different role: for just cents a day, they are giving some of the world’s very poorest children a chance to escape the absolute deprivation their parents have suffered their whole lives.  And by showing what can be achieved in schools where teachers actually make an effort to teach and where principals actually care about results, they are laying the basis for a revolution in global education.

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Bill 143 - Impact For Private School Early Learning Programs

February 20 2014 - Private School Owners & Operators Meet Regularly To Respond To Bill 143 - Bill 143, the Child Care Modernization Act , was tabled by the provincial government on December 3 2014. It began debate on February 18 2014.  There is opportunity for stakeholders to provide feedback to the government on this bill before March 14 2014 and opposition parties are also looking to hear from those affected. Parents deserve real choice. Private schools are committed to offering the best, highest quality education that parents require. Private schools are happy to be part of a public consultation process on a bill that really works to keep kids safe.

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