Ontario has introduced its new four-year math strategy.
The Conservatives campaigned on a back to basics math curriculum in 2018, when Premier Doug Ford called the “Discovery Math” program an “experiment”. “I made a promise to parents that we would fix the broken education system we inherited, get back to basics, and teach our children the math fundamentals they need for lifelong success,” said Ford.
The new elementary curriculum will take children back to basics, which includes memorizing multiplication tables, Education Minister Stephen Lecce jokingly warned parents today. The new math program will also teach students in Grades 1 through 8 financial literacy and coding, “Today, our government is delivering on that promise with the first-ever math curriculum in Canada for Grades 1-8 that includes the teaching of coding and financial literacy, both critical skills that will help our students prepare for and succeed in the modern world and in the modern workforce.” Ford said.
The last time the math curriculum for elementary schools was updated was in 2005. The new curriculum will begin in September.
In addition, the province is cancelling the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) for students in Grades 3 and 6 for the 2020/2021 school year. Students in grades 9 and 10 will continue to take the math EQAO test and the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT).
