ILC's Mandate

The Independent Learning Centre (ILC) has a mandate from the Ontario Ministry of Education to provide:

• an alternative source of public education in English and French - complementing the traditional system for students who want or need independent study options
• services that are complementary and equivalent to public school boards - delivering credit courses, providing student support and granting OSSD at a distance
• technology-enhanced education - using new media to deliver online learning resources and facilitate student support
• exclusive GED Testing in Ontario - offering tests leading to nationally recognized high school equivalency certification

ILC: 80 Years of Service to Ontario

The ILC has been in the forefront of distance education and independent study for over 80 years.

Modernization and Multimedia

The ILC was transferred on April 1, 2002 from the Ontario Ministry of Education to TVO as part of the government's commitment to enhance lifelong learning through the creation of a distance education network in Ontario.

In recent years the ILC has evolved its service offering to include the latest software and internet-based delivery techniques. The ILC.org website now plays an increasing role in students' journeys - in facilitating enrolment, enriching and extending course work with online resources, and as a vehicle for engaging and supporting students. In 2007, the ILC won the Canadian new media Award for Excellence in Education.

The ILC is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Education. Located in Toronto, the ILC is managed by TVO, the provincial educational communications authority.

The Early Years

The ILC was founded in 1926 when the Ontario Department of Education established the Correspondence Courses program to provide elementary education for children living in isolated areas of northern Ontario. In its first year, the program had only 75 students. The same year, the Railway School Car Program began to serve those who lived along the railway lines. The programs had a common objective - to bring education to children in isolated communities.

By the 1950s, a complete secondary school program was available through Correspondence Courses. Adults, who were attracted by the flexible nature of the program, enrolled in increasing numbers and have since become the ILC's predominant client group.