GTA School Roundup: What’s Different This Year?

Over two million students across Ontario returned to school on September 8, encountering a range of changes both inside and outside their classrooms. Here are some of the key updates:

Standardized Testing

High school students will experience significant changes to standardized testing. The province has implemented uniform assessment standards for all students, regardless of the school or board they attend. This means that most secondary courses will now require a written exam to contribute to the final course mark. For students in Grades 9 and 10, this exam will account for 20% of their grade, while for Grades 11 and 12, it will make up 25%.

Absenteeism and Participation

Attendance and participation will now impact final grades: 15% in Grades 9 and 10, and 10% in Grades 11 and 12. Students with excused absences will not be penalized. The new assessment criteria categorize students based on their level of engagement and attendance.

For instance, a “Level 4” student (the highest grade) is engaged, shows positive leadership, and misses 0 to 2.5% of classes (two or fewer unexcused absences per semester). Conversely, a “Below Level 1” student (the lowest grade) typically struggles academically and misses more than 10% of classes (nine or more unexcused absences per semester). This represents a major shift from the previous system, where 100% of marks were based solely on coursework.

EQAO Test

Starting this academic year, the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) test will account for 20% of a Grade 9 student’s final math grade. This decision follows a warning from Education Minister Paul Calandra in December 2025, citing insufficient progress in reading, writing, and especially math based on recent standardized test data.

Grade 10 Financial Literacy Test

Students entering Grade 9 in the 2025/2026 school year and beyond must complete a financial literacy test to graduate. This test, administered during the Grade 10 career studies course, will count as 5% of their final grade. Students must score at least 70% to pass, and they will have two attempts. The test assesses core financial literacy concepts taught in Grades 1 through 9 and includes learning modules and assessment questions developed by TVO.

Kindergarten Curriculum Overhaul

The new Kindergarten curriculum will emphasize early reading, writing, and math through play-based learning. It will also incorporate new elements of science and technology, coding, and financial literacy.

New History Content

In Grade 10, students will study topics including Black Canadians, the Holocaust, antisemitism, the Holodomor famine, and extreme political and social ideologies as part of an updated history curriculum.

New School Board Offices

Parents and guardians will have access to new Student and Family Support Offices at each school board across the province. These offices aim to give families a “clear place” to seek help with serious or complex issues that may not be resolved at the school level.

Teachers Will Receive $750 for School Supplies

Starting September 1, about 80,000 elementary homeroom teachers will receive $750 to buy classroom supplies, easing some of the out-of-pocket expenses they have previously faced. The Ontario government has designated Staples as the vendor for this Classroom Supplies Fund. However, Opposition and Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles has called for a Canadian retailer to replace the American-owned Staples.

New Digital Learning Platform

Teachers from Grades 1 to 12 will gain access to the Edwin digital learning platform from Nelson Education this fall. The province has invested $60 million in this program, which offers ready-made lesson plans, interactive tools, activities, videos, and presentations for teachers to use.

New Schools as Part of Ontario’s $30 Billion 10-Year Plan

Over $1 billion has been allocated for 35 projects that will soon open, creating more than 18,000 new student spaces and 1,100 licensed childcare spaces.