One Ottawa mother says she’s concerned about what her children will face as they move through the school system, after newly released EQAO results show many students in the city are still struggling to meet the provincial math standard. “I’m definitely worried about what’s happening and what they’re obviously not learning when they should be in elementary,” said Tori Poulin. Her children, in Junior Kindergarten and grade one, haven’t done the EQAO tests yet, but she says the concerns are already there. “I think the fact that the class sizes are so large, it’s impossible really for teachers to identify students that are going to need extra help and those are where the gaps start,” she said. While the EQAO reports slight improvements in some areas, the Minister of Education says the results, released months later than usual, are still not where they need to be. “There has been inadequate progress in reading, writing and especially math. Half of grade six and 42 per cent of grade nine students are not meeting the provincial standard in math,” said Paul Calandra. In Ottawa results are similar. In the Ottawa Carleton District School Board, roughly 47 per cent of grade six and 39 per cent of grade nine students are below the standard in math. In the Catholic board, it’s 42 per cent in both grades. “Across the board frankly the Catholic Board does better than the English public board, in the same region we see different results, and we have to find out why that is,” said Calandra. The province is now striking a new advisory committee to review how students are taught and tested. But teachers’ unions say EQAO doesn’t capture real classroom challenges, calling for the tests to be scrapped. “Especially over the last five years coming out of the pandemic, the large class size and the more diverse population in terms of their needs is causing greater issues,” said Stephen Skoutajan, president of the Ottawa Carleton Elementary Teachers Federation. In a statement, Ontario Secondary School Teacher’s Federation president Martha Hradowy highlighted gaps in the system, including to $6.3 billion removed from public education since 2018 and rising mental health needs. “Minister Calandra has inherited a system weakened by eight years of decisions made without listening to the people who work with students every day. He now has an opportunity to change course,” Hradowy said in a statement. “[Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation] and our members stand ready to bring our knowledge, experience, and commitment to the table to support meaningful improvements for students.” The Education Minister says the EQAO results are lined to “dysfunctional trustee performance,” which comes as he weighs the elimination of trustees across the province, with Ottawa’s public board still under provincial supervision. “The minister is pointing at EQAO results and trustees and that’s not helpful,” said Liberal MPP for Ottawa South John Fraser. “I know the Ottawa board of education is struggling like all school boards with special education there is not enough EAs or supports and I think that would be a great start.” Calandra says he’ll name two members to the advisory committee early next year; he also signaled that a final decision on whether he plans to abolish trustees by the end of the year as planned.
