CMEC

What is CMEC?

The Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) is an intergovernmental body founded in 1967 by ministers of education to serve as:

• a forum to discuss policy issues;
• a mechanism through which to undertake activities, projects, and initiatives in areas of mutual interest;
• a means by which to consult and cooperate with national education organizations and the federal government; and
• an instrument to represent the education interests of the provinces and territories internationally.

CMEC provides leadership in education at the pan-Canadian and international levels and contributes to the exercise of the exclusive jurisdiction of provinces and territories over education.

CMEC is governed by an Agreed Memorandum approved by all members. A Chair is elected every two years based on rotation among the provinces. The current Chair is the Honourable Ramona Jennex of the Department of Education for Nova Scotia. All 13 provinces and territories are members.

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 fulfilment 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; and
• 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.

In April 2008, CMEC released Learn Canada 2020, a joint ministerial statement that underscores provincial and territorial responsibility for the four pillars of lifelong learning — early childhood learning and development, elementary and secondary schooling, postsecondary education, and adult learning and skills development — and proposes working collaboratively with key partners and stakeholders to ensure that all Canadians benefit from the strength and diversity of provincial and territorial education systems.

What is the CMEC Secretariat?

The CMEC Secretariat was created the same year as the Council itself to support the work of the intergovernmental body. Located in Toronto, the Secretariat is headed by a Director General, who is appointed by members of CMEC. Dr. Andrew Parkin is the current Director General.

Services provided to ministers by the Secretariat include

• coordination of meetings of ministers, deputy ministers, and provincial/territorial officials;
• coordination and administration of all aspects of CMEC activities, projects, and initiatives;
• policy research and support, as directed by ministers;
• hosting of provincial/territorial electronic discussion forums;
• hosting and maintenance of CMEC Web sites;
• translation and revision of over a million words of text each year;
• English and French simultaneous interpretation at meetings and events;
• liaison with various stakeholders including education-related NGOs and the general public; and
• media and public relations.

Secretariat Staff Directory

Office of the Director General
Mr. Andrew Parkin, Director General  A.PARKIN
Ms. Jill Zakrzewski, Administrative Assistant  J.ZAKRZEWSKI

Administration
Mr. Jean-Gilles Pelletier, Director  JG.PELLETIER
Ms. Mary Jane Hee Fa Chung, Administrative Assistant  MJ.HEEFACHUNG

Communications
Mr. Colin Bailey, Director  C.BAILEY
Mr. Daniel Bonning, IT Officer  D.BONNING
Ms. Aurélie Angard, Administrative Assistant  A.ANGARD
Ms. Mira Mayer, Copy Editor, French  M.MAYER
Ms. Lynn-Marie Holland, Copy Editor, English  LM.HOLLAND
Mr. Fabrice Cadieux, Translator  F.CADIEUX
Ms. Anne-Lise Diehl, Translator  AL.DIEHL 
Ms. Peggy Plume, Translator  P.PLUME
Mr. Yves Leclair, Translator  Y.LECLAIR
Mr. Loic Magnier, Translator  L.MAGNIER
Ms. Amélie Perreault, Translator  A.PERREAULT

Financial Services
Ms. Nicole Cloutier, Coordinator, Financial Services  N.CLOUTIER
Ms. Wafaa Boukhrissi, Senior Bookkeeper  W.BOUKHRISSI
Mr. Beverley Han Mui, Bookkeeper  B.HANMUI
Ms. Eulalia Abadie, Accounts Payable Clerk  E.ABADIE

Operations and CMEC Affairs
Ms. Ruby Chow, Coordinator  R.CHOW
Ms. Sandra De Avila, Administrative Officer  S.DEAVILA

Aboriginal Education

Ms. Christy Bressette, Coordinator  C.BRESSETTE
Ms. Phyllis Cohen, Administrative Assistant  P.COHEN

Assessment
Mr. Pierre Brochu, Coordinator, Assessment  P.BROCHU
Ms. Kathryn O'Grady, Manager, Pan-Canadian Assessment Program   K.OGRADY
Ms. Mélanie Labrecque, Manager, International Assessments  M.LABRECQUE
Ms. Maria Chuy, Analyst  M.CHUY
Mr. Koffi Houme, Analyst  K.HOUME
Ms. Yasaman Jalali-Kushki, Analyst  Y.JALALI-KUSHKI
Ms. Marjorie Manève, Administrative and Data Officer  M.MANEVE
Ms. Marie-Claire Pintaric, Administrative Assistant  MC.PINTARIC

Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials
Ms. Natasha Sawh, Coordinator  N.SAWH
Ms. Nancy Tran, Project Manager, Pan-Canadian Quality Standards  in International Credential Evaluation  N.TRAN
Mr. Michael Ringuette, Information Officer  M.RINGUETTE
Ms. Noelline Ip Yam, Administrative Officer  N.IPYAM

 Education and Literacy
Ms. Katerina Sukovski, Coordinator  K.SUKOVSKI
Mr. Brenton Faubert, Analyst  B.FAUBERT
Ms. Yasaman Jalali-Kushki, Analyst  Y.JALALI-KUSHKI
Mr. Brennen Jenkins, Analyst  B.JENKINS  
Ms. Jelena Zikic, Administrative Assistant  J.ZIKIC

 Education Data and Research
Ms. Amanda Hodgkinson, Coordinator  A.HODGKINSON
Ms. Lauryn Conway, Analyst  L.CONWAY
Ms. Monica Kronfli, Analyst  M.KRONFLI
Ms. Romina Maggi, Analyst  R.MAGGI
Ms. Natalia Ronda, Analyst  N.RONDA
Ms. Jelena Zikic, Administrative Assistant  J.ZIKIC

International
Ms. Antonella Manca-Mangoff, Coordinator  A.MANCA- MANGOFF
Mr. Marcel Courchesne, Analyst  M.COURCHESNE
Ms. Sylvie Duong, Analyst  S.DUONG
Mr. Aamir Taiyeb, Analyst A.TAIYEB
Ms. Alison Milan, Administrative Assistant  A.MILAN

Official Languages
Mr. Jean-Gilles Pelletier, Director  JG.PELLETIER
Mr. Jeremy Putt, Program Analyst  J.PUTT

Mr. William Lai, Administrative and Systems Officer  W.LAI
Ms. Laura Diaz, Administrative Officer  L.DIAZ
Ms. Joyce Li Tse Vee, Administrative Assistant  J.LITSEVEE
Ms. Mary Jane Hee Fa Chung, Administrative Assistant  MJ.HEEFACHUNG

Pan-Canadian Education Projects
Mr. Daniel Buteau, Coordinator  D.BUTEAU
Ms. Lise Boissonneault, Administrative Officer  L.BOISSONNEAULT

Postsecondary Education
Mr. Noel Baldwin, Coordinator  N.BALDWIN
Ms. Lauryn Conway, Analyst  L.CONWAY
Ms. Monica Kronfli, Analyst  M.KRONFLI
Ms. Romina Maggi, Analyst  R.MAGGI
Ms. Natalia Ronda, Analyst  N.RONDA
Ms. Phyllis Cohen, Administrative Assistant  P.COHEN