Since the inception of the National Exam and the Mutual Recognition Agreement, there has been an influx of Opticians who have attended the 6 month BC College of Optics program, written the National Exam and then brought their licence to Ontario. Is Licence reciprocity helping Ontario Opticians or creating an increase in the number of Opticians competing for jobs here in Ontario? This has the implication of leading to a freeze or even drop in wages.

Without entering into a debate over the standard or quality of the education being delivered in this 6 month course, we do respectfully ask the College of Opticians how can we deem the B.C. candidate equivalent to an Ontario graduate who has not only completed 2 to 4 years of theoretical studies, but has also completed and documented 1000 hours of practical fitting experience in both eyeglasses and contact lenses?

How is this fair to Ontario students and graduates? In a profession where we are working extensively with the public, how is the public safeguarded when there is no documentation of practical experience? The College continues to argue that if the candidate has successfully completed the National Exam, they are deemed safe to dispense eyewear and contact lenses. Does the Exam adequately on its own ensure that the candidate possess sufficient practical experience? In Ontario, not only must the candidate pass the National Exam, they must provide proof of 1000 hours of dispensing experience. Why are external candidates exempt from this requirement?

The College of Opticians of Ontario continues to argue that the government forced them to adopt a Mutual Recognition Agreement. The justification for the adoption of the National Exam was that we needed an exam that was administered in all parts of Canada to ensure a consistent standard of entry to the profession. At the same time it was promised that a ‘National Standard’ would be set for the level of education that a program must provide to those wishing to enter the profession. To date, no such ‘Accreditation of Education’ exists yet we continue to accept external candidates.

Two points of particular interest have arisen from our correspondence with the federal government. First, the OAC-Opticians Association of Canada received funding from the government to facilitate the adoption of the MRA. Second, it is stated that the MRA is not mandatory until 2009. Why then are we being lead to believe that since we signed an intention to participate in the MRA that we must immediately register any and all external candidates without being able to ensure proper educational background?

The answer is simple. Until there is a ‘National Accreditation of Education’ in place ensuring that all Opticianry schools adhere to an agreed upon level of theoretical and practical experience, we must pull out of the MRA—especially when it is not even in force yet!

Nationalism is an admirable goal as long as it’s execution is fair and equitable and does not erode the high professional and educational standards of Ontario