a history of curriculum services canada

available to users who would pay a subscription fee, was also put forth. It was argued that users
could then have access to a range of information, from work-in-progress to objectively rated
materials to training opportunities in education. The plan was to continue expanding the range
of products offered online, at the same time as expanding the range of potential clients.
Concurrent with this plan was the idea of taking selected materials and packaging them in a userfriendly
format for easy classroom application.
OCC could thus be marketed as a one-stop shopping service for teachers and others in the
education community in Ontario, with a plan to eventually be marketed elsewhere in Canada and
worldwide. By centralizing advertising, promotion, standardization, management, sales,
distribution, and the process of curriculum development itself, OCC could reduce duplication,
maintain consistent pricing and formats, increase accessibility of products and services, and
ultimately reduce costs to both the Ministry and individual school boards. The net profits would
be shared by reinvesting in further resource development.
To increase the size of OCC’s client group was also an important goal. Up to this point,
elementary school teachers comprised the largest section of the OCC’s client group. To include
secondary school learning materials in the catalogue would of course greatly increase OCC’s
client group. But the expanded client group now envisioned included a new focus on
organizations in the private and corporate sectors. The promotion of a publicly accredited
evaluation tool was seen as a potential drawing card for this new market and advertising in a
range of forms - trade shows, conferences, and article submissions to professional magazines and
journals - was suggested as a means of expanding the client population. Related to these
promotional suggestions was the idea of selecting appropriate learning materials and packaging
them in a way that would maximize their market value beyond the classroom. In the case of
remedial or supplementary assistance, it was pointed out that a registry of materials for parents
and students could also be developed.
Two important practical ramifications of the new vision included the need for personal and
corporate protection from liability. Initiating copyright for all materials in the catalogue meant
that OCC itself was protected against any claims of infringement or “any defamatory, obscene
or otherwise offensive or unlawful matter contained in any of the works referenced”.
Additionally, official steps were taken to protect OCC’s Directors and Officers against personal
liability.
The new vision of OCC raised many important questions for its members. A discussion of the
appropriate form of “partnership” with OCC for raising money continued with the concept of
partnership itself under question. Under the new incorporation it must be determined whether
OCC should be actively seeking partnerships, sponsorships, alliances, or some other kind of
business relationship.
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