CMEC

About Us

About the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC)

In Canada, education is the responsibility of each province and territory. Because ministers of education needed a forum in which to discuss issues of mutual concern, they established the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), in 1967. CMEC is the national voice for education in Canada. It is the mechanism through which ministers discuss and act on matters of mutual interest and the instrument through which they consult and cooperate with national education organizations and the federal government. CMEC also represents the education interests of the provinces and territories internationally.

What does CMEC do?

Ministers of education work through CMEC on a wide variety of activities, projects, and initiatives. For example, CMEC:

represents provinces and territories on education-related international bodies and participates in their activities
contributes to the fulfillment of Canada's international treaty obligations
provides a national clearing house and referral service to support the recognition and portability of educational and occupational qualifications
assesses the skills and competencies of Canadian students
develops and reports on education indicators
sponsors research in education-related statistics
administers Canada's national official-languages programs
consults and acts on a variety of issues in elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education

Among other work, CMEC is also currently involved in priority activities related to Aboriginal education, literacy, and postsecondary capacity.

For more information, please visit our Web site at www.cmec.ca.