Ontario’s government is preparing to overhaul how students are taught and tested after another year of weak EQAO results. Education Minister Paul Calandra says too many students are still falling behind, especially in math, where half of Grade 6 students and 42 per cent of Grade 9 students are not meeting the provincial standard. The results, which were supposed to be released earlier in the fall, were delayed because the minister wanted to conduct a deeper review before making them public. Even with small improvements in some areas, overall progress has barely moved in the last two years.
Calandra now plans to appoint an outside expert panel to examine the entire system—from how teachers are trained and supported to whether EQAO tests match what students are learning in class. He said the ministry cannot review itself because if the current approach were working, student outcomes would be better by now. The panel will also look at why struggling students, including those with special needs, are not improving more quickly. Calandra believes standardized testing should stay in place, but results should be delivered more often and much faster so parents and teachers can act sooner.
Teachers’ unions strongly oppose the move. They argue that large class sizes, rising workloads, and increased school violence—not EQAO scores—are making it harder for students to succeed. They say outside experts don’t understand the realities of classrooms and that the money being spent on consultants should instead go directly to students. Opposition parties also criticized the government for delaying the release of the EQAO results, saying families lost months when they could have been arranging extra support for children who needed it. Critics also call the expert panel a costly delay tactic, arguing that underfunding, not testing, is the root of the problem.
Calandra says the two people who will lead the review will be named in the new year.
For everyday families, this means more change may be coming to Ontario’s education system. With so many students not meeting expectations in math and literacy, parents may see an increase in tutoring demand or new school-based supports. The delay in releasing the results matters because without timely information, parents cannot intervene early, and catching up later often costs more time and money. Education outcomes also have long-term financial consequences; stronger math and literacy skills today translate into better earning potential tomorrow. And as the province considers paying advisers $1,500 per day, taxpayers will be watching closely to see whether this review leads to real improvements that help students and reduce the need for families to spend extra out of pocket.