The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario is urging the provincial government to provide educators with high-quality professional learning and sufficient preparation time before a revised Kindergarten curriculum is implemented in fall 2026.
ETFO says the updated curriculum introduces significant changes, including new expectations in literacy, mathematics, coding, and engineering design, along with a stronger emphasis on explicit and systematic instruction in foundational skills. The document also restructures the curriculum by renaming the four frames as strands and revising the format and scope.
ETFO President David Mastin says educators are well-equipped to teach and assess students but need meaningful, job-embedded professional learning to plan lessons and apply new instructional approaches effectively. He says educators should not be expected to rely on webinars or complete training on their own time.
The federation points to chronic underfunding that has eliminated ministry-provided professional learning supports, including in-person training and curriculum resources. ETFO says educators are often left waiting for delayed third-party materials that may not align with classroom needs.
ETFO also criticizes the Ministry of Education for failing to engage in authentic consultation during the curriculum development process. Mastin says educators had limited access to draft documents and were unable to provide meaningful feedback before the curriculum was finalized.
The federation is urging the ministry to follow recommendations from the Ontario Teachers’ Federation’s 2020 report on improving curriculum development and implementation. ETFO represents approximately 84,000 public elementary education workers across Ontario.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)
