The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) is urging the province to dismantle the Education Quality and Accountability Office’s standardized testing regime and redirect millions of dollars in EQAO funding toward direct student supports. The call comes on the same day the province announced a new two-member advisory body to review EQAO testing and the broader causes of Ontario’s stagnant student results.
The Ministry of Education says EQAO outcomes released this week show minimal progress, with half of Grade 6 students and 42 per cent of Grade 9 students failing to meet the provincial math standard. Education Minister Paul Calandra says the advisory review will examine curriculum clarity, teacher preparation and student support systems to improve achievement.
ETFO argues the province is misdiagnosing the problem. The union says that standardized testing has not reduced inequities, and that educators, not external test designers, are best positioned to assess learning through classroom-based evaluation. ETFO President David Mastin says the government is relying on data that is “meaningless” in real learning environments while ignoring teacher concerns over class sizes, workload and school violence.
The union also questioned the minister’s involvement in EQAO reporting, noting that the agency is supposed to operate at arm’s length. ETFO maintains that government emphasis on EQAO distracts from chronic underfunding of public education.
ETFO represents approximately 84,000 members across Ontario. The union says real student growth is driven by curiosity, educator-guided learning and ongoing assessment not standardized testing frameworks.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)
