What is OFIS?

The Ontario Federation of Independent Schools (OFIS) is a legally incorporated, duly constituted association of non-sectarian schools, religious schools and home-schools, established in 1974.

It exists because - "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)

OFIS Believes That Independent Schools...
  • produce responsible citizens and productive members of society in the province of Ontario
  • should be legally and publicly recognized as quality educational choices in the province of Ontario
  • should meet or exceed the standards of the Ontario curriculum
  • should remain autonomous with respect to hiring, admissions and governance standards
  • are entitled to financial support since the Ontario government is obligated to provide for the education of EVERY child in the province


    OFIS Believes Meeting These Goals Provides The Best Value To Member Schools And Encourages Greater Public Support...
  • provide direction, examples and support for policy and procedural development for schools necessary to operate legally, safely and professionally)
  • provide a growing number of school leadership courses thereby instructing on matters school personnel need to effectively lead and govern independent schools
  • undertake regular school management reviews thereby helping schools improve and grow by hitting important organizational targets
  • engage in political and legal activities that schools cannot undertake individually and strive for an increasingly equitable educational landscape in the province
  • provide professional and administrative support to member schools through regional gathering and individual consultation addressing common questions and issues in schools
  • acquiring resources to be shared resulting in greater benefit to member schools

Why Parents Choose Independent Schools...
  • they want to choose the type of education that is best for their children based on a wide variety of indicators including the unique perspective of each child - no one system can effectively mee the needs of all children
  • for religious reasons believing it is best for their children if the values and religion of the home is reinforced and complemented at school
  • for a specific approach to education such as Montessori, Waldorf or classical/traditional where they believe the teaching style will better match the learning style of their children
  • to offer their children a better guarantee of strong academics, smaller classroom sizes and greater teacher student ratios
  • to give their child the advantage of small classes and a smaller school in general where a child is well known by most staff
  • for more direct involvement as a parent. Independent schools are well-known for sharing the decision making process on operations, policies and programs with the school community

Contact Info

Ontario Federation of Independent Schools
PO Box 24037 Pinebush RPO
Cambridge, ON N1R 8E6
519.249.1665 - home office
519.716.1664 - mobile
info@ofis.ca
www.ofis.ca