A teacher's union is calling today for an end to standardized testing of Ontario students.
It's a program called EQAO, Education Equality and Accountability Office.
It is an independent government body that develops and oversees reading, writing and mathematics tests that Ontario students must take in Grades 3, 6, 9, and 10.
But a report on EQAO testing by an Education Advisors’ panel does not go far enough in its recommendations, according to the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO).
See the full report here.
“While we applaud the report’s recommendation to phase out Grade 3 and Grade 9 testing, it’s time to end the EQAO program for all grades and redirect its $36 million budget to frontline education programs,” said ETFO President Sam Hammond.
“Abolishing EQAO and its narrow focus on literacy and numeracy would allow educators to develop a broader range of reading and math skills and bring back time for subjects like the arts and physical education. It would also remove unnecessary pressure and stress on young students and contribute to enhanced student well-being.
“The report acknowledges that EQAO test results are misused and states that they should not be used to rank schools. However it fails to suggest how to prevent that from happening. The only way to prevent that misuse is to discontinue census testing. It is unfortunate that the Minister of Education has indicated that there will be no changes at this time to the EQAO large-scale assessments."
Near North Board Chairman David Thompson told BayToday that, "From a Board perspective, we are always concerned with how EQAO is delivered and is there a better way to evaluate our students that best utilizes our teacher's expertise to satisfy provincial standards."
