More than two million students across Ontario are heading back to school this week, and they’ll be greeted by major changes in and outside of the classroom when they get there. In the months and years leading up to the Sept. 8 return, the provincial government has revealed elements of its education system overhaul, which will significantly change the way kids learn during the 2026/2027 school year and beyond. At its core, the Ministry of Education says the changes are about “getting back to the basics” of classroom learning, while supporting teachers and giving parents and guardians more confidence in the education system. “Taken together, these changes are about getting the basics right, setting clear standards, giving students practical skills, supporting parents and teachers and making sure our education system stays focused on helping students succeed,” the ministry told CTV News Toronto in an email. Here’s a look at all the changes students, teachers, and parents can expect to see starting this fall: Standardized testing One of the biggest differences between this school year and last will be for secondary students, who will see sweeping changes to how standardized testing is carried out. The province says that high schoolers will now be held to the “same clear” assessment standards, “no matter which school or school board they attend.” That means most secondary courses will require a written exam as a percentage of the final course mark. For students in Grades 9 and 10, that exam will account for 20 per cent of their grade. For Grades 11 and 12, an exam will make up 25 per cent of a student’s grade. All written final exams will take place in the designated exam period. Attendance and participation Education Minister Paul Calandra said in the spring that absenteeism had been “creeping up” prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and has yet to return to normal levels. “I hear from teachers that this causes a lot of challenges in the classroom when a student is coming in and out of the classroom. There is no consistency in that,” he said while announcing the change in April. As such, attendance and participation will now count for 15 per cent of final grades in Grades 9 and 10 and 10 per cent in Grades 11 and 12. Students who are on excused absences will not be penalized. In a breakdown of the new attendance and participation assessment criteria, a “Level 4” student (the highest grade) is described as one who misses 0 to 2.5 per cent of classes (or two or fewer classes per semester for unexcused absences). The Level 4 student participates in class discussions and contributes ideas, asks relevant questions, respects the contributions of others and demonstrates positive leadership, while contributing to fostering a positive classroom culture. Meanwhile, a “Below Level 1” student (the lowest grade) misses more than 10 per cent of classes for unexcused absences, or nine classes per semester. A Below Level 1 student does not participate in class discussions or contribute ideas, ask relevant questions, respect the contributions of others, or contribute to fostering a positive classroom culture. “The old system, 100 per cent of that mark in some instances was based on course work. A student did not need to participate. This is an important change. It absolutely reflects what teachers and high school teachers have told me would help them get better management of their classroom and would help prepare their students for the real world,” Calandra said at the time. EQAO to count for 20 per cent of Grade 9 math mark Starting this year, the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) test will account for 20 per cent of a Grade 9 student’s final math grade. In December 2025, Calandra said the most recent data from the standardized student test showed inadequate progress in reading, writing, and “especially” math. Calandra had delayed the release of the test results in the fall after they showed that 42 per cent of Grade 9 students were not meeting the provincial standard in math. Grade 6 and Grade 3 students also take the EQAO test, but it does not impact report card grades for those students. The education minister said at the time that he held back the release because he wanted to do a “deep dive” into the results. At that time, he announced that he was appointing an expert advisory body to lead a “thorough review” of how Ontario supports student learning. Grade 10 financial literacy test In addition to the existing literacy test, students who entered Grade 9 in the 2025/2026 school year and onwards must now complete a financial literacy test to graduate. The test will be delivered during the Grade 10 career studies course and make up five per cent of their final grade. Students will have to score a 70 per cent on the test, which the province said assesses “core financial literacy concepts” found in Grades 1 through 9. Students will have two attempts to pass the test, which consists of learning modules and assessment questions developed by TVO. Kindergarten curriculum overhaul Some of Ontario’s youngest learners will also be impacted by the changes. While the new Kindergarten curriculum will focus on early reading, writing and math through play-based learning, it will also include new elements of science and technology, coding, and even financial literacy. Under the new curriculum, students will learn about data literacy and probability, oral and non-verbal communication, scientific investigation and engineering design. When the plan was released in December 2025, some had criticized the new learning model as regressive, arguing that the “desk and paper” approach to early education was taking priority over play-based learning. The province defended the plan at the time, saying in part: “The curriculum will support each child in developing foundational reading, writing and math skills, while maintaining play-based learning that allows students to learn through play.” New history content Students in Grade 10 will learn about Black Canadians, the Holocaust, antisemitism, the Holodomor famine, and extreme political and social ideologies in an updated history curriculum. Like the new Kindergarten curriculum, the updated history class lesson plan was scheduled to start in September 2025, but Calandra paused the rollout by one year so that the programs could be more thoroughly developed. New school board offices Parents and guardians will have access to new Student and Family Support Offices at each school board in the province. The government said the resource will give families a “clear place” to turn when a serious or complex issue arises that cannot be resolved at the school level. Some of those offices previously opened in January at school boards currently under government supervision, including the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB). Teachers to receive $750 for school supplies Some 80,000 homeroom elementary teachers will have access to $750 as of Sept. 1 to purchase school supplies, something they had previously done out of pocket in some cases and was paid for by local school boards in other cases. The Ontario government announced in August that it had chosen Staples as its vendor for the Classroom Supplies Fund following what the ministry called an “open, fair and competitive process” to bid on the contract. Opposition and Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles has called for a Canadian retailer to replace Staples, which is American-owned, in the midst of U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada. New digital learning platform Teachers for Grades 1 to 12 will have access to Nelson Education’s Edwin digital learning platform this fall. The province spent $60 million to get access to the program, which it says allows teachers to draw from a variety of materials organized by subject and grade, allowing them to find ready-made lesson plans or build their own using interactive tools, activities, videos and presentations. “Teachers will be able to use resources in flexible formats, such as downloading printed activities or using the resources directly during lessons in the classroom.” The program is already in use at the TCDSB and some TDSB schools. 35 new and expanded schools Several new schools and school additions are set to open across Ontario this fall for the upcoming school year. In a news release, the Ontario government laid out exactly which institutions are opening or expanding as part of its $30-billion, 10-year plan to build and renew schools in the province. More than $1 billion was earmarked for 35 projects which will open in the next several months and create more than 18,000 student and 1,100 licensed child-care spaces.
