Ontario’s provincial government has appointed supervisors to oversee four major school boards, including the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), amid escalating concerns about antisemitism and student safety. While the province cites fiscal mismanagement as the official reason, Ontario’s Ministry of Education also asserts the intervention will directly address rising antisemitism and create safer learning environments free from politics in Ontario schools.
The Ontario government’s takeover will delay the rollout of several key curriculum initiatives, notably affecting mandatory Holocaust education, the government notes. Education Minister Paul Calandra announced that curriculum updates—originally scheduled for September 2025—will now be deferred by one year to allow school boards sufficient time to manage the transition amidst new provincial oversight.
This curriculum pause explicitly includes expanded Holocaust education modules planned for Grade 10 students, building on the Grade 6 Holocaust lessons that rolled out in the fall 2023, according to an official government news release. While the policy remains in place and significant investments in teacher training and resources continue, including $551,000 allocated in November 2024 for Holocaust education, the implementation delay is intended to ensure educators receive adequate support and preparation to effectively deliver historically significant topics.
The curriculum delay comes at a time of rising concerns about antisemitism in Ontario schools, a primary factor cited by the Ministry of Education for intervening in school board governance. Advocates for Holocaust education, such as the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), have emphasized the importance of comprehensive, mandatory lessons to foster deeper historical understanding and combat antisemitism among students.
Josh Landau, CIJA’s director of government relations for Ontario, expressed “disappointment” with the implications of a delay in Holocaust education.
“While we recognize the broader challenges facing school boards, we are disappointed by the delay in implementing the new and expanded mandatory learning about the Holocaust in the compulsory Grade 10 History course,” Landau wrote in an email statement to The Canadian Jewish News.
“Students cannot afford to wait—in a time where antisemitism has risen to levels not seen in recent memory, there remains a troubling lack of understanding about the Holocaust, its impacts and the persistent dehumanization of Jews that reverberates even today. We remain committed to working with the government to ensure mandatory learning about the Holocaust is comprehensive, impactful, and equips students with a clear understanding of the Holocaust and its impacts.”
Education Minister Paul Calandra announced the provincial intervention last week, highlighting financial instability and mismanagement at the TDSB, Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) and Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board (DPCDSB).
“Each of these boards has failed in its responsibilities to parents and students by losing sight of its core mission—ensuring student success,” Calandra stated in a news release. An audit by PricewaterhouseCoopers revealed significant financial missteps, noting that the TDSB rejected nearly half of management’s recommended cost-saving measures, relying heavily on asset sales to balance budgets. The DPCDSB was described as “at the brink of bankruptcy,” and the TCDSB was noted as being at risk of financial default.
Emma Testani, press secretary for Minister Calandra, clarified the broader implications of the move in an email statement sent to The Canadian Jewish News: “Schools should be a safe place for every student to learn in a respectful and supportive environment. Antisemitism is unacceptable and has no place in our schools. The supervisor at the TDSB has a clear mandate to refocus the board on student achievement, restore accountability, and support classrooms. We will continue working with our education partners to keep politics out of the classroom and ensure schools remain focused on helping students succeed.”
The intervention also follows months of growing community alarm over antisemitism and hate incidents in Toronto schools. Data provided by the TDSB indicated a sharp increase in hate-motivated incidents, particularly targeting Jewish students, prompting intensified advocacy from Jewish community groups.
Tamara Gottlieb, founder of the Jewish Educators and Families Association (JEFA), expressed robust support for the provincial takeover, noting increased parental anxiety over student safety.
“Parents across Ontario have been increasingly alarmed by the state of our education system,” Gottlieb said. “Jewish parents, in particular, have deep concerns about student safety, concerns borne out by the TDSB’s own data showing a sharp rise in hate-motivated incidents targeting Jewish students.”
Gottlieb described the provincial action as “a critical first step toward restoring safety, accountability, and public confidence in our schools,” and urged continued collaboration with educational bodies such as the Ontario College of Teachers to uphold standards and accountability.
The Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA) offered cautious support for the province’s intervention, emphasizing the importance of fiscal responsibility and transparent governance. “School board trustees across Ontario take their roles very seriously, particularly their commitment to being financially responsible, transparent and accountable to the communities and students they serve,” OPSBA President Kathleen Woodcock wrote in a public statement. Woodcock welcomed the review of provincial funding, calling the minister’s commitment to student-focused resource allocation “encouraging,” and emphasized trustees’ readiness to collaboratively reflect and rebuild.
However, the move was sharply criticized by Chandra Pasma, education critic for Ontario’s NDP, who called it “nothing short of a power grab.” Pasma blamed Premier Doug Ford’s government for chronic underfunding and accused it of “playing political games with our kids’ futures.”
“We need investments, not partisan appointments,” Pasma wrote on social media platform Bluesky. “Minister Calandra and the Progressive Conservatives are using this as an opportunity to hand out partisan appointments to individuals with no background in education and no interest in the future of our kids.”
Rohit Gupta, previously a senior advisor specializing in finance and public policy within Ontario’s Ministry of Education, was appointed supervisor of the TDSB. Other appointed supervisors include Frank Benedetto (TCDSB), Robert Plamondon (OCDSB) and Rick Byers (DPCDSB).
None of these supervisors have previous experience working in public school education listed on official government bios.
For Jewish families, Gottlieb says the takeover symbolizes potential relief amid escalating safety concerns. “We urge Premier Ford and Minister Calandra to remain steadfast in advancing policies that restore safety, uphold parental trust, and reaffirm the purpose of public education.”
