Ford government promises major overhaul of education system

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Paul Calandra isn’t just looking to revamp standardized testing in this province, Ontario’s education minister wants a full re-think of the education system. It’s long overdue for a system that has grown tremendously, seen buckets of money poured into it but doesn’t deliver.

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On Wednesday, Calandra unveiled the results of the most recent standardized test results from the Education Quality and Accountability Office. Once again, these test results showed that while students are doing well in reading and writing, meeting the expected provincial standard in math is hard.

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For example, 86% of students in Grade 6 met the provincial standard in reading and 85% met the standard in writing, but just 51% met the standard in math. By the time kids are in Grade 9, math proficiency is improving, but still only 58% met the standard.

Calandra took time to consider a full review

These results were supposed to be released in September, but Calandra said he held them back while he contemplated why our education system continues to fail and what should be done about it.

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“I didn’t want to just come out here in September and without having looked at it because I want to be in a better position to take the responsibility that is required,” Calandra said.

He noted multiple times during a Wednesday morning news conference that Ontario spends $43 billion on education and doesn’t appear to be getting value for that money.

Of that $43 billion spent on education, about $32 billion in the last fiscal year was spent on what is called “Core Education” meaning spending that hits the classroom. The rest is made up of capital expenditures such as new schools, repairing existing schools, or running the province’s daycare program which falls under education.

Open review of curriculum, tests and teacher support

Most of that $32 billion is spent on salaries for teachers, but what is interesting about Calandra’s call to review the entire system is that he’s not attacking teachers. He is asking if we are setting them, and by extension students, up for success.

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Calandra is appointing an advisory body to look at what is working and what is not in the education system and to make recommendations.

“It is wide open. I want student success. I want them to look at every part of it. I want them to do a deep dive on our curriculum. I want them to look at the test. I want them to go in, speak to teachers, speak to our partners. What can we achieve? Is what we’re doing working?” Calandra said.

Cost of advisory board drop in the bucket compared to what we spend

He hasn’t announced the names of those on the advisory board saying some are wrapping up other work and the names would come soon. The cost will be a daily stipend of $1,500 per day, a figure many in the media and the opposition balked at, but this is not a full-time job.

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And as Calandra pointed out, if we are spending $43 billion on education and not getting results, maybe it’s time for some fresh eyes to look at this.

“Asking the people who have been in charge for the last 50, 60 years to review themselves doesn’t always doesn’t necessarily come up with the best the best answers,” Calandra said.

Overhaul aims to fix math outcomes

The review will examine why student outcomes in math are not improving the way the government hoped, whether the curriculum and resources are “clear, consistent and easy to use,” whether teachers are properly prepared for what is asked of them and whether students have the tools they need to succeed.

Our education system in Ontario has been a mess for a long time. We have applied Band-Aid after Band-Aid to it and especially on math, on STEM, things are not improving. Going back to the same old arguments about the need for small class sizes, which is really just a union talking point to hire more teachers, won’t improve things.

We need new thinking, a review of the system and a fresh approach, that’s what Calandra is proposing.

For that, he deserves the public’s support.

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