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OntarioPassed43rd Parliament, 1st Session

Bill 98 explained in plain English

Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act, 2023

Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.

At a glance

Jurisdiction
Ontario Legislature
Legislature / Parliament
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Session
43rd Parliament, 1st Session
Bill number
Bill 98
Full title
Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act, 2023
Current status
Passed
Latest event
Royal Assent received
Last updated
Jun 8, 2023

Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.

Chamber
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Current Stage
Royal Assent received
Latest Activity
Jun 8, 2023
Plain-language explanation
In plain English (our explanation)

Our plain-language take, written for civic education.

Source: By PoliticalData.ca

AI-assisted, reviewed before publishing
Short Version

Bill 98 amends Ontario education and child care laws to strengthen student achievement oversight, introduce apprenticeship learning options, establish board member conduct processes, and increase government control over school property and curriculum matters.

What It Means

Bill 98, the Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act, 2023, is an Ontario law that amends several acts related to education and child care. The bill focuses on improving student achievement, curriculum standards, and oversight in Ontario's kindergarten to grade 12 education system. The bill makes three main sets of amendments: **Early Childhood Educators Act, 2007:** The changes allow the Complaints Committee to require early childhood educators to complete continuing education or remediation programs. They also establish new procedures for handling complaints when an educator has been convicted of a criminal offence related to the complaint. The Registrar (instead of employers) becomes the complainant when an employer files a report. The bill also changes funding eligibility criteria for children who were subject to sexual abuse by allowing funds if the educator's practice facilitated their relationship or access, rather than requiring proof of supervision. **Education Act:** This is the largest set of changes and includes: - New definitions and French language updates related to special education - Introduction of "equivalent apprenticeship learning" as a form of education where students participate in apprenticeship programs - Minister's new powers to set policies on curriculum review, board member training, and student mental health - Requirements for school boards to develop multi-year plans aligned with provincial student achievement priorities - School boards must adopt codes of conduct for board members and establish integrity commissioner processes to investigate alleged breaches - New rules governing school property sales, leases, and dispositions, giving the Minister more oversight - Requirements for boards to provide information about school sites and property plans - Requirements for boards to collaborate with municipalities on child care centres in schools **Ontario College of Teachers Act, 1996:** Changes to how complaints against teachers are handled, similar to those for early childhood educators. New requirements for teacher education programs to include curriculum knowledge, particularly in math, reading, and literacy. The Registrar can now revoke suspended teaching certificates if the suspension lasts more than three years (or a shorter period set by regulation). Teachers must complete sexual abuse prevention programs before their certificates can be re-issued. All amendments came into force on June 8, 2023 (Royal Assent), except for some Education Act provisions which come into force on a date to be named by proclamation.

Uncertainties Or Limits
  • This draft was normalized from a partial local-model response and must be reviewed before publication.

Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.

Official text

Process Snapshot

Step 1
First reading
Apr 17, 2023
Step 2
Second reading
May 29, 2023
Step 3
Committee review
May 29, 2023
Step 4
Third reading
Jun 8, 2023
Step 5
Royal assent
Jun 8, 2023

Vote Summary

Yes
75
No
25
Abstain
0
Absent / Other
0
Final recorded vote
Jun 8, 2023
100 representative positions are recorded in this official snapshot for this vote.
Sponsor
Stephen Lecce
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | King—Vaughan
Jurisdiction
Ontario Legislature

Representative Voting Breakdown

Vote badges include text labels so the table stays readable for everyone, even without color cues alone.

RepresentativeRoleRidingPartyVoteNotes
MPPBrampton WestProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPWindsor—TecumsehProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPEssexProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPScarborough—AgincourtProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPMarkham—UnionvilleProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPCambridgeProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPEtobicoke—LakeshoreProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPRichmond HillProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPScarborough CentreProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPNewmarket—AuroraProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPMississauga—MaltonProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPOakville North—BurlingtonProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPCarletonIndependentYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPBrampton EastProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPBarrie—InnisfilProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPYork—SimcoeProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPBrampton CentreProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPFlamborough—GlanbrookProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPBarrie—Springwater—Oro-MedonteProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPEtobicoke NorthProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPOxfordProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPParry Sound—MuskokaProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPKenora—Rainy RiverProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPSimcoe NorthProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPThunder Bay—AtikokanProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPEtobicoke CentreProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPHaliburton—Kawartha Lakes—BrockProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPHuron—BruceProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPVaughan—WoodbridgeProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPAurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond HillProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPYork CentreProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPKitchener—ConestogaProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPMississauga CentreProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPHamilton East—Stoney CreekProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPMississauga—StreetsvilleProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPStormont—Dundas—South GlengarryProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPMarkham—StouffvilleProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPPickering—UxbridgeProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPBrampton SouthProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPScarborough NorthProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPElgin—Middlesex—LondonProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPNiagara WestProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPWillowdaleProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPOakvilleProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPKing—VaughanProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPLeeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau LakesProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPDufferin—CaledonProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPDurhamProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPChatham-Kent—LeamingtonProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPKitchener South—HespelerProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPLanark—Frontenac—KingstonProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPRenfrew—Nipissing—PembrokeProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPMississauga East—CooksvilleIndependentYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPThornhillProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPNepeanProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPMarkham—ThornhillProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPWhitbyProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPOttawa—VanierOntario Liberal PartyYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPPerth—WellingtonProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPYork South—WestonProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPLambton—Kent—MiddlesexProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPBurlingtonProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPMiltonProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPAjaxProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPHastings—Lennox and AddingtonProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPBruce—Grey—Owen SoundProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPEglinton—LawrenceProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPSault Ste. MarieProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPMississauga—LakeshoreProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPMississauga—Erin MillsProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPGlengarry—Prescott—RussellProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPOrléansOntario Liberal PartyYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPKingston and the IslandsOntario Liberal PartyYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPBay of QuinteProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPBrantford—BrantProgressive Conservative Party of OntarioYesRecorded without an additional note.
MPPParkdale—High ParkNew Democratic Party of OntarioNoRecorded without an additional note.
MPPWaterlooNew Democratic Party of OntarioNoRecorded without an additional note.
MPPOttawa West—NepeanNew Democratic Party of OntarioNoRecorded without an additional note.
MPPSpadina—Fort YorkNew Democratic Party of OntarioNoRecorded without an additional note.
MPPScarborough SouthwestNew Democratic Party of OntarioNoRecorded without an additional note.
MPPNickel BeltNew Democratic Party of OntarioNoRecorded without an additional note.
MPPSudburyNew Democratic Party of OntarioNoRecorded without an additional note.
MPPNiagara CentreNew Democratic Party of OntarioNoRecorded without an additional note.
MPPSt. CatharinesNew Democratic Party of OntarioNoRecorded without an additional note.
MPPOshawaNew Democratic Party of OntarioNoRecorded without an additional note.
MPPToronto—St. Paul'sNew Democratic Party of OntarioNoRecorded without an additional note.
MPPOttawa CentreNew Democratic Party of OntarioNoRecorded without an additional note.
MPPTimiskaming—CochraneNew Democratic Party of OntarioNoRecorded without an additional note.
MPPToronto CentreNew Democratic Party of OntarioNoRecorded without an additional note.
MPPWindsor WestNew Democratic Party of OntarioNoRecorded without an additional note.
MPPThunder Bay—Superior NorthNew Democratic Party of OntarioNoRecorded without an additional note.
MPPDavenportNew Democratic Party of OntarioNoRecorded without an additional note.
MPPAlgoma—ManitoulinIndependentNoRecorded without an additional note.
MPPGuelphGreen Party of OntarioNoRecorded without an additional note.
MPPLondon WestNew Democratic Party of OntarioNoRecorded without an additional note.
MPPToronto—DanforthNew Democratic Party of OntarioNoRecorded without an additional note.
MPPHamilton West—Ancaster—DundasNew Democratic Party of OntarioNoRecorded without an additional note.
MPPKiiwetinoongNew Democratic Party of OntarioNoRecorded without an additional note.
MPPLondon North CentreNew Democratic Party of OntarioNoRecorded without an additional note.
MPPNiagara FallsNew Democratic Party of OntarioNoRecorded without an additional note.

Official sources

Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.

How this data is sourced