Ontario introduces new Math curriculum for elementary students after 15 years

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Ottawa, Jun 25 (Canadian-Media): Ontario's new elementary math curriculum, developed over two years in consultation with parents, math educators, academics and math education experts was released by the Ontario Government on June 23, media reports said.

The curriculum, designed to reverse a decade of declining math scores, to strengthen math competence, improve grades, and to better prepare students for work in a rapidly changing world, will be available to students across the province beginning in September 2020.

Professional development would be provided to educators including $10 million aimed at board-based math learning leads, $15 million for school-based math learning facilitators, and $15 million to familiarize the educators with the curriculum.

Details were released  by Premier Doug Ford, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, and Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education during a news conference on June 23.

Christine Elliott, Doug Ford, Stephen Lecce, and others. Image credit: Video grab

"When I became a premier I made a commitment to the parents. I promised that we would fix the broken education system we inherited. I promised the children to learn fundamental basics once again so that they succeed," said Premier Ford during the news conference. "Today, our government is delivering on that promise with the first-ever math curriculum in 15 years in Canada for Grades 1-8 that includes the teaching of coding and financial literacy, both critical skills that will help our students every day skills for life long success."

Lecce said that for over a decade, too many students were lacking everyday math, financial literacy, and numeracy skills and hoped that the new curriculum will help students solve everyday math problems, and better prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow by ensuring every student learns how to code.

To make the new curriculum accessible to students, parents, educators, etc. the Ministry of Education would upload the curriculum to the new Curriculum and Resources website, a digital space which would be accessible to anyone who wished to learn or teach.

This platform will help parents, students, and teachers see connections between learning in different grades and subjects.

"Ontario's new mathematics curriculum...support how students use math in the world today, and how they will use math to make informed decisions in the world ahead of them," said Dr. Christine Suurtamm, Vice Dean Research, and Professor of Mathematics Education, Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa in a news release on June 23.

According to the new curriculum Grade 3 and 6 students are not required to participate in Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) assessments during the 2020-21 school year, as the ministry works to align the assessments with the new curriculum. 

Students in Grade 9 and Grade 10 will continue to take the mathematics assessment and Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT), respectively.

The Ontario Government would provide classroom-ready resources for each grade, as well as in-depth virtual training for teachers, principals and board staff.