Ontario students posted only slight improvements in maths and literacy during the 2025‑26 school year, according to the latest results from the Education Quality and Accountability Office. The proportion of Grade 6 pupils meeting the provincial maths standard rose from 51 % to 52 %, while reading and writing scores remained unchanged at 86 % and 85 % respectively. Grade 3 learners saw a one‑point increase in both maths (to 65 %) and reading (to 75 %), with writing climbing two points to 67 %. Grade 9 maths performance edged up to 59 %, and Grade 10 literacy passes reached 86 %, each up a single percentage point.
Maths Scores Edge Up
The EQAO data reveal a modest upward trend in maths achievement across the tested grades. Grade 6 maths proficiency increased by one percentage point, marking the third consecutive year of incremental gains. Grade 3 maths also rose by a point, continuing a slow but steady climb since the pandemic‑era dip. Grade 9 maths, the sole secondary‑level assessment, showed a similar one‑point improvement, leaving just under six in ten students at the provincial standard. Officials describe the movement as “encouraging” yet stress that the pace remains insufficient to close longstanding gaps.
Literacy Results Hold Steady
Reading and writing outcomes displayed virtually no change compared with the previous year. Grade 6 reading stayed at 86 % and writing at 85 %, while Grade 3 reading held at 75 % and writing improved marginally to 67 %. The Grade 10 literacy test, taken by all English‑language pupils, recorded a one‑point rise to 86 % passing. The EQAO notes that literacy has traditionally been a stronger area for Ontario students, but the stagnation suggests that recent instructional interventions have not yet translated into measurable progress.
French‑Language Schools Show Slight Edge
Students in French‑language schools outperformed their English‑language peers in nearly every category, although the year‑over‑year shifts were similarly negligible. French‑language Grade 6 maths reached 58 % (up one point), reading 90 % (unchanged), and writing 88 % (up one point). Grade 3 French‑language maths stood at 72 % (up one), reading at 80 % (unchanged), and writing at 74 % (up two). Ministers highlighted these results as evidence that the francophone system continues to maintain a modest advantage, though they cautioned against complacency.
Political Reactions
Education Minister Paul Calandra framed the data as a sign of progress, urging continued effort to address persistent inequities. “These results are encouraging, but they also make clear that there is more work to do. Too many students continue to struggle, achievement gaps persist and results remain uneven across the province,” he said in a statement.
Ontario NDP education critic Chandra Pasma described the outcomes as “deeply concerning,” linking them to what she called governmental neglect. “The Minister of Education has been completely neglecting what teachers and principals and parents have been saying our kids need, which is smaller class sizes, more supports, more investments. And instead, he’s been busy playing power games and running political crusades on his pet issues, and we can see the outcome of that,” Pasma asserted in an interview.
Ontario Liberal interim leader John Fraser labelled the findings “alarming,” accusing the Ford government of exacerbating systemic issues. “The Ford government has, over the past 8 years, allowed our schools and our students to fall behind. Our class sizes are too big, the government has starved special education, and there is a mental health crisis in our schools that is not being addressed. Doug Ford has created chaos in our schools,” Fraser declared in a statement.
Calls for More Supports
Union leaders and academics echoed the need for additional resources. David Mastin, president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, argued that higher achievement hinges on expanded support staff, including psychologists and child‑and‑youth workers. “Kids right now do not have that in Ontario schools,” he warned. Nidhi Sachdeva, a researcher at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, pointed to a confidence gap among educators, noting that many teachers feel unprepared to teach maths effectively. She urged targeted professional development to bolster instructional capacity.
The province recently appointed an independent advisory body to review student assessment and achievement, with a final report pending. Until then, educators and policymakers alike will be watching closely to see whether the marginal gains observed this year can be built into a more substantial, sustained improvement.
Why it Matters
The flatlining of literacy scores and the barely perceptible rise in maths proficiency signal that Ontario’s current educational strategies are not moving the needle fast enough to meet the province’s ambition of equitable, high‑standard outcomes. Persistent achievement gaps, coupled with growing concerns over class sizes, mental health services, and specialist support, risk leaving a significant portion of learners unprepared for future academic and workforce demands. Without decisive investment in both teaching conditions and student‑centred resources, the modest improvements seen today may stall, reinforcing long‑term disparities that affect not only individual students but the province’s broader social and economic health.