Ontario teachers one step closer to mandatory math tests

Ontario’s Appeal Court will hear a case in which the government is seeking to mandate a math test for new teachers.

A lower court had struck down the math proficiency test as infringing equality provisions in the Charter because it found the test had a disproportionate effect on racialized teachers when it was first implemented last year.

“At this time, the requirement to successfully complete the Math Proficiency Test (MPT) for certification with the Ontario College of Teachers is no longer in effect,” one math proficiency test website reads.

“All testing is paused. Please visit the Ontario College of Teachers’ website for updates.”

But the government argued the Divisional Court made legal errors, including using too low of a threshold to determine discrimination, given that only one round of the new test was administered to teacher candidates.

Government lawyers sought leave to have the Court of Appeal for Ontario hear the case, and the court granted that application this week.

Premier Doug Ford’s government introduced the test as part of an effort to improve students’ scores on standardized math tests.

A hearing date for the appeal has not yet been set.

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With files from Lucas Casaletto of CityNews