Ontario’s Education Minister to Introduce Legislation to ‘Refocus’ System

Students to get boost in math and literacy

Ontario Minister of Education Stephen Lecce makes an announcement at St. Robert Catholic High School in Toronto on Aug. 4, 2021. The Canadian Press/Tijana Martin

Ontario Minister of Education Stephen Lecce is scheduled to introduce legislation Monday that will “refocus the education system on improving outcomes for students,” a release said.

The tabling of the legislation follows an announcement he made Sunday that the government will invest $180 million in boosting math and literacy in schools. That includes bringing in about 1,000 new educators.

“We are getting back to the basics, because that’s what matters most when it comes to students’ skills with reading, writing and math,” Lecce said in a release Sunday.

Student Proficiency in Ontario

Less than half (47 percent) of Ontario’s Grade 6 students met the provincial standard for math in 2021–2022, according to the government’s Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO). Grade 6 testing results are used to represent the “junior division” in schools.

For the primary division, 59 percent of Grade 3 students met the standard.

Just over half of Grade 9 students met the standard for math, only 52 percent. EQAO says the effect of the pandemic has been especially great on math outcomes for Grade 9, as 75 percent met the standard in 2018–2019. The other divisions show little change from pre-pandemic scores.

Reading and writing scores are better, though less than three quarters of Grade 3 students meet the standard. About 85 percent of Grade 6 students and a similar portion of high school students meet the standard.

Curriculum ‘Overhaul’ and Supports

The plan Lecce announced Sunday includes doubling the number of math coaches in classrooms to “provide direct support to teachers and students,” the release said.

The province will deploy Math Action Teams to school boards to raise standards. It will also expand access to digital math tools and enhanced teacher training.

On the literacy front, the province will now require early reading screening for students in senior kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2. Early interventions will be available to help the students get on track.

The province will fund additional specialized teachers to work in smaller groups or one-on-one with students who need more support in reading.

The whole language curriculum will be “overhauled,” the release said, starting September, “with an emphasis on ensuring students at an early age can master basic literacy.”

Teachers’ Union Unhappy

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) criticized Lecce for not consulting educators.

“[It is] irresponsible for the government to overhaul the language curriculum without input from educators who are in classrooms delivering the curriculum,” ETFO tweeted on Sunday.

EFTO said it is also unaware of when the curriculum details will be announced or what the plan is for implementation.