ABOUT OPTA

Overview

As of January 2018, approximately 24,000 students in grades 11 and 12, in some 420 Ontario high schools, study philosophy.

This is the largest number of students in a single jurisdiction in the English-speaking world.

Accreditation

The Ontario Philosophy Teachers' Association (OPTA) is the official subject association for philosophy teachers in Ontario public and Catholic high schools. OPTA is recognized as such by the Ontario Ministry of Education, the Ontario College of Teachers, and the Curriculum Forum of the Ontario Federation of Teachers.

Mandate

OPTA is committed to:

supporting teachers who are delivering philosophy programs in their schools;
advocating for the inclusion of philosophy in high school programs; and
assisting those who are working to initiate philosophy programs in their schools.

To these ends, OPTA is mandated to:

maintain a website. The information and resources provided are available free-of-charge to any interested person or organization. OPTA asks that when any materials are used, the author and Ontario Philosophy Teachers' Association are credited; and
provide every assistance possible to any person or group that is interested in starting a philosophy program in their school or board of education.