Ontario’s education minister says students are making progress in math, but the latest provincial assessment results show achievement gaps remain.
Responding to the 2025–26 Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) results, Paul Calandra said math performance improved in Grades 3, 6 and 9. He also said nearly nine in 10 Grade 6 students met the provincial standard in reading and writing. The results were scheduled for release Friday, September 25, with provincial, school board and school-level data available through EQAO.
Calandra said the results are encouraging but that too many students continue to struggle and performance remains uneven across the province.
He said he has directed the Ministry of Education to work with every school board to review its Student Achievement Plan, monitor progress and report back regularly. The plans are intended to help boards identify where students need additional support and outline steps to improve results.
The minister also raised concerns about an increase in the number of students exempted from EQAO assessments at some school boards. He said he has directed EQAO leadership to investigate the reasons for the increase and determine whether further action is needed.
Exemptions are intended for students who cannot complete an assessment even with permitted accommodations, Calandra said.
An independent advisory body on student achievement and assessment, appointed earlier this year, is also expected to recommend ways to improve student outcomes.
The minister’s statement did not provide the exact 2025–26 math percentages or identify which school boards recorded increases in exemptions. The EQAO release includes results at the provincial, board and school levels.
