Overview
- Auditor General Shelley Spence, in a report released Tuesday, said Ontario’s special education programs have not consistently met students’ needs.
- Educational assistants, who provide day‑to‑day in‑class help, had an average 18% absence rate in 2023–24 and their absences went unfilled 49% to 72% of the time at the three audited boards, with stress and student‑related injuries cited.
- Almost 60% of teachers surveyed reported little or no training on key topics such as identifying needs, behavior management and writing individual education plans, leaving classrooms exposed when EAs are not available.
- Assessment backlogs were acute at the Toronto Catholic and Peel boards, where 34% of students in line for psychological or speech assessments had waited more than a year, while the Upper Canada board met timelines.
- Funding rose 15% from 2019–20 to 2023–24 but board spending rose 19%, and 46 boards together spent $397.9 million more than they received, forcing cuts in other programs to cover special education shortfalls.