PC education critic and Cambridge MPP Rob Leone unveiled the Ontario PC Caucus Math Achievement Action Plan today pledging to bring fundamental math skills back to Ontario classrooms.
“We spend $8.5 billion dollars a year more in education than we did in 2003, but have 250,000 fewer students and our math test scores have declined,” said Leone. “It’s time for this government to stand up for students.”
Highlights of the comprehensive plan developed after consultations with parents, principals, teachers and trustees, include better preparation for elementary teachers in mathematics, identifying and rewarding the best teachers and bringing back rote math to Ontario’s schools.
Leone says that the province’s teaching methods need a substantial rethink.
“I’m talking to parents who are telling me that kids aren’t even learning the multiplication tables at school anymore. If kids aren’t learning the fundamentals, how can they be expected to succeed down the road?”
Math departments at universities across Ontario are studying the reasons why the drop out and failure rates of university math by high school graduates is near 50%. They claim the current high school curriculum does little to emphasize the basics, and the underdevelopment of necessary academic skills. The PC education critic agreed, saying the Math Achievement Action Plan will identify the best teaching practices to ensure students are better prepared.
“We’re not just talking about improving scores and grades. We are also talking about improving skills,” concluded Leone. “When we are more strategic about how we hire and train teachers, we get better teachers. Better teachers and a stronger curriculum will give students the skills they need in the job market.”
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