MISSION & PURPOSE

OISE is committed to the study of education and matters related to education in a societal context in which learning is a life-long activity. Its mission emphasizes equity and access and the improvement of the educational experiences of people of all age levels and backgrounds. It includes partnerships with others to address a wide array of problems, drawing upon the insights of academic disciplines and professional perspectives. OISE is dedicated to national pre-eminence and international distinction in graduate studies, initial and continuing teacher education, research and field development in education, and to providing exemplary leadership within and outside the province of Ontario.

The Faculty of Education at the University of Toronto (FEUT) was founded in 1906 following a Royal Commission report arguing that the “Teaching of education is best performed where the theory and practice can be made to supplement each other.” Since that time, the Faculty has gone through many organizational changes as the university and the government changed their views of how the study of education and the education of teachers should be carried out. The Ministry of Education exercised close control of budgets, curriculum and hiring through the 1960’s. Educational research was moved to an independent OISE in 1965. Only in 1996 were teacher education, research, professional development and graduate programs reunited in one faculty under the clear jurisdiction of the University. We remain convinced that theory and practice must interact productively in order to ensure a vibrant faculty of education and a healthy educational system. We are committed to making sure OISE does so in an exemplary way.

History

OISE brought a substantial record of, and an international reputation for, research and graduate programs as well as field centres that translated the research into practice to the merger of OISE and the Faculty of Education at the University of Toronto (FEUT) on July 1, 1996. FEUT brought the energy and expertise from a seven year focus on improving teacher education, strengthening partnerships with the field, and encouraging research and inquiry. The merger provided a major opportunity for renewal with an expanded mandate. Today, OISE is fully realizing its potential to bring high quality educational research and scholarship, a broad range of graduate programs and the preparation of teachers together in a productive synergy that will impact education locally and around the world.