Toronto, ON, Oct. 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Teacher Candidates across Ontario are planning a rally for education at Queen’s Park to protest Ford government’s newly imposed legislation requiring Teacher Candidates to successfully complete a Math Proficiency test to obtain their Ontario College of Teachers certification. (Bill 48, subsection 18 of the Ontario College of Teachers Act, 1996: Regulation 271/19)
Who: Teacher Candidates from Faculties of Education across Ontario.
When: Monday October 28, 2019: 7am - 12:30pm.
Where: Queen’s Park & other cities across Ontario.
What: Teacher Candidates are encouraged to rally at Queen’s Park and other cities across Ontario to fight the Ford government’s newly imposed Math Proficiency Legislation that forces
all new Teachers to pass a standardized math test in order to receive their Ontario College of Teachers certification.
Student Demands:
- Reconsider the timeline for implementation to 6-8 years to allow students who are
choosing teaching as a career to enter supportive academic streams.
- Adequate resources and funding for Faculties of Education to create support courses in math proficiency for Teacher Candidates.
- Equitable versions of the math test based on Bachelor of Education streams: (Primary/Junior, Intermediate/Senior).
- Redesign of the test format.
- Research to prove that student scores will increase as a direct result of testing Teacher Candidates in Math Proficiency.
- Remove the Math Proficiency Test as a requirement to obtain an Ontario College of
Teachers certification.
- Provide support programs for both students and educators to better facilitate the math curriculum.
Quick Facts:
- The Ontario Teacher Candidate Council was formed October 2019. The council is comprised of representatives from Faculties of Education from across Ontario, creating a unified student body on a provincial scale.
- On August 20, 2019, Ontario Regulation 271/19 was filed under the Ontario College of Teachers Act, 1996 for Proficiency in Mathematics.
- The regulation requires applicants to complete and pass a math proficiency test to obtain their Ontario College of Teachers certification.
- This regulation applies to all complete applications to OCT on or after March 31st, 2020.
- Applicants will be tested in an online multiple-choice format in both math pedagogy and math proficiency from grades 3-11.
- In order to be successful, applicants are required to pass both sections with a minimum of 70% each.
- Applicants who are unsuccessful on the test will be given a certification from the OTC with a condition. Condition: applicants have two years to successfully complete the math proficiency test.
- Teacher Candidates who graduate from Faculties of Education outside of Ontario can apply for Teaching positions in Ontario, and are not required to take the Math Proficiency Test.
- Trent Education Student Association has a signed petition with over 150 signatures from concerned Teacher Candidates.
Trent Education Student Association, in partnership with the Ontario Teacher Candidate Council, have published a letter in response to the Math Proficiency Legislation, and multiple letters to the Minister of Education: Stephen Lecce, asking for a meeting to discuss the legislation. Despite multiple invitations, the Minister of Education has not been willing to meet with us.