The Ontario government is looking at how students are assessed after standardized test results showed some grades are making “insufficient progress” and are lagging behind in reading, writing and, especially, math.
The government blamed the problems on “dysfunctional trustee performance” that is failing to support student achievement, noting that Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) test results released Wednesday morning highlighted issues with Grades 3, 6 and 9.
“The latest EQAO results show that more action is needed to support our students and help them succeed,” Minister of Education Paul Calandra said in a press release. “In too many cases, dysfunction and infighting among trustees have distracted boards from this core responsibility. I have taken the time to closely review these results, and we are taking decisive action to get students on track for stronger achievement.”
The provincial government passed Bill 33, the Supporting Children and Students Act last month, which gives the province sweeping new powers over school boards including the ability to override or remove elected trustees, place boards under provincial supervision and possibly eliminate elected trustees entirely before next year’s elections.
More than 574 000 students across the province completed EQAO assessments at the elementary and secondary levels of the English- and French- language school systems during the 2024–2025 school year. The EQAO results showed that half of Grade 6 students and 42 per cent of Grade 9 students did not meet the provincial standard in math.
In response, the government will appoint an advisory body early next year to review its approach to student assessment made up of two members who will lead a comprehensive review of how Ontario supports student learning. It will focus on “math, reading and writing and closing achievement gaps,” the government said.
“The review will examine the root causes behind these results and recommend clear, actionable strategies to better support teachers, parents and students, all while continuing to support Ontario’s public education system.”
The advisory body will report its findings to the minister, but no timeline was given for its completion.
The Ford government’s 2023 budget has committed a record $34.7 billion to education, up from $24.2 billion a decade earlier and a 43 per cent increase over 10 years, focusing on literacy, numeracy, mental health supports, and new school construction.
However, critics have said that while funding has increased, per-pupil funding has often lagged behind inflation until recently. In 2025, a 2.64% increase finally exceeded inflation, but the system remains under financial strain, according to the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA).
The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO), which represents about 84,000 elementary educators and support workers, said it believes the problem lies primarily with the government’s reliance on standardized testing, which it has long advocated ignores input from educators, who it says are better placed to evaluate issues in the system.
“Educators are struggling with large class sizes, increasing workloads, and rising violence in schools, yet the Ford government remains incomprehensibly fixated on meaningless EQAO results,” ETFO President David Mastin said in a press release.
“Moreover, Minister Calandra’s ‘deep dive’ delay raises serious questions. If EQAO is supposed to operate as an arms‑length, independent agency, why is the minister intervening in decisions around the release of its results?” The union has said that educators are the best source of information about student progress.
