Preparing Students for the Jobs of the Future

New math curriculum for elementary students will better prepare students for a modern workforce, strengthen math competence, and improve grades

For over a decade under the previous Liberal government, too many students have not been meeting Ontario’s math standards – lacking everyday math, financial literacy, and numeracy skills. In fact, fewer than half of Grade 6 students — 48 per cent — met the provincial math standard during the last school year, down from 61 per cent in 2009. For Grade 3 students, only 58 per cent met the standard.

In 2018, our PC government made a promise to parents that we would update the math curriculum so students can improve their grades and develop the skills they need for the future.

Today, we were pleased to announce that we are delivering on that promise by introducing Ontario’s new elementary math curriculum, which aims to ensure our kids can succeed now and into the future.

The new curriculum for Grades 1-8 will help students solve everyday math problems, enshrine financial literacy in the early grades, and better prepare students for today’s competitive marketplace and the jobs of tomorrow by ensuring every student learns how to code. Specifically, it will:

• Build understanding of the value and use of money through mandatory financial literacy concepts;
• For the first time, teach coding or computer programming skills starting in Grade 1 to improve problem solving and fluency with technology, to prepare students for jobs of the future;
• Use relevant, current, and practical examples so students can connect math to everyday life;
• Put a focus on fundamental math concepts and skills, such as learning and recalling number facts.

“For over a decade, too many students were lacking everyday math, financial literacy, and numeracy skills,” said Stephen Lecce, MPP for King-Vaughan and Minister of Education. “The new curriculum will help students solve everyday math problems, enshrine financial literacy in the early grades, and better prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow by ensuring every student learns how to code.”

The curriculum, which is part of the government’s four-year math strategy, was developed over two years in consultation with parents, math educators, academics and math education experts, and is designed to reverse a decade of declining math scores. It will be available to students across the province beginning in September 2020 and will be the first uploaded to the new Curriculum and Resources website, a digital space for parents, educators, and students to access curriculum and learning resources.

Our PC government will continue to champion numeracy, financial literacy, and everyday problem solving, to equip the next generation of Ontarians with the skills they will need to succeed.