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Background of the OFSAA Transfer Policy
The transfer policy has been in place since 1986. Virtually every provincial and state high school athletic body in North America has a transfer policy.
OBJECTIVES
- to encourage fair and equitable play amongst schools.
- to establish broad-based participation of the student body.
- to prevent the building of “super teams”.
- to create opportunity for the overall student population.
BEFORE THE POLICY
Before the policy’s adoption, some alarming trends had emerged:
- Stacked teams were being created with students transferring into schools to play a sport, thus discouraging other students from participating.
- Winning became more important than providing an educational experience.
- Weak teams couldn’t improve or compete, which eventually discouraged participation and sports programs were forced to fold.
- Students switched schools to get a higher profile in a sport and obtain a U.S. scholarship.
- Students who had played in previous years were displaced from their team by a transfer student and weren’t able to participate.
ELIGIBILITY
- To be declared eligible, a student must bring themselves within the criteria established in the policy.
CHANGES TO THE POLICY
- The policy has changed and evolved over the years. These changes are never made arbitrarily or unilaterally.
- The policy is developed by educators in a democratic and consultative manner.
- Proposed changes come forward in the form of a motion. These are carried or defeated by a vote of the Executive Council, Representatives' Council, and Principals' Council at the Annual General Meeting in April. Motions must be submitted by schools or associations by late February, preferably through their member athletic association.
- In some instances, changes are adopted to deal with abuse of the policy and in an effort to continue enhancing overall participation.
KEY ELEMENTS
While there may be differing views about the policy, there are four key elements to keep in mind:
- It is democratically changed and implemented.
- There is a fair process that allows for students to appeal decisions.
- The policy’s existence is well-founded.
- It continues to uphold the values of school sport.
OFSAA recognizes the value of school sport to a student's education and has adopted the transfer policy to promote fairness, equality, and broad-based participation of the student population.
A copy of the policy, the OFSAA appeal form, and the dates of transfer hearings can be found here.
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