Welcome Message From the Vice-chair:

On behalf of the Ontario Special Education Tribunals (OSET), I am pleased to welcome you to our website. The two OSETs (English and French) are independent adjudicative agencies that hear appeals from parents regarding the special education of students with exceptionalities in a school board. The OSETs operate under the Education Act, and receive appeals from all Public and Catholic school boards in Ontario. The OSETs are the last step in a dispute resolution process that includes an Identification and Placement Review Committee and a Special Education Appeal Board.

The OSETs are part of the Social Justice Tribunals Ontario (SJTO) cluster. SJTO brings together the Ontario Special Education Tribunals (English and French) and five other adjudicative tribunals: Child and Family Services Review Board (CFSRB), Custody Review Board (CRB), Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO), Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) and the Social Benefits Tribunal (SBT). The mandate of these tribunals is to provide all Ontarians with timely access to specialized, expert and effective dispute resolution in a wide range of matters that profoundly affect their everyday lives.

The cluster is led by Executive Chair Michael Gottheil. You may find more information about the Executive Chair, the SJTO, its structure and access to the seven tribunals' websites at www.sjto.gov.on.ca.

All case processing functions of the OSETs are now integrated with the HRTO. I serve as Associate Chair of HRTO and Vice-chair of the French and English OSETs. Richard Hennessy is Registrar of HRTO and Secretary of the OSETs.

This web site is your gateway to the appeal process. On these pages you will find information on how to file and respond to an appeal and the relevant forms. You will also have access to information about our process and procedure including our Rules of Procedure, Practice Directions, Policies, Information Sheets, Forms, Legislation and more.

The OSETs play an important role in adjudicating disputes that arise between parents and school boards regarding the identification and placement of students with exceptionalities under the Education Act. We have developed processes designed to be balanced, clear and accessible. Parties have the opportunity to be heard through a dispute resolution process that is neutral, fair, and based on the facts and the law.

I am proud to be part of an organization made up of committed staff and adjudicators dedicated to high standards of public service. We will work hard to meet the community's expectations.

David A. Wright,