Canadian provincial educator and Methodist church leader who founded the public education system of what is now Ontario province.

After his own local education, Ryerson taught for a time at a nearby school. He took further studies in Hamilton, Ontario, and then entered the ministry as a Methodist circuit-riding preacher and, later, missionary to American Indians. He founded the first non-Anglican school to receive a royal charter in Canada, the Upper Canada Academy at Cobourg, Ontario, in 1836. The school was renamed Victoria College in 1841, and he was its principal.

He was named superintendent of common schools in Upper Canada in 1844 and served until 1876. He was largely responsible for the creation of the Provincial Normal School in Toronto to provide professional training of teachers. Ryerson also saw to the establishment of the provincial Educational Depository (to supply schools and teachers with books and other teaching materials at reduced prices), the distribution of uniform textbooks, and the adoption of an efficient system of school inspection.

Early in his administration, Ryerson traveled throughout Europe to study a variety of school systems. His report (1846) on his observations contained many recommendations, some of which were transformed into law by the Common School acts of 1846 and 1850. From 1848 to 1875 he edited the Journal of Education for Upper Canada.