Results of a math test teacher candidates in Ontario must pass in order to be certified show striking disparities across language, age and racial groups, the province’s teachers’ federation says.
The Ontario Teachers’ Federation, which advocates for more than 160,000 teachers in the province, requested roughly a year’s worth of success rates for the test with demographic information included.
It shows that overall, about 68 per cent of teacher candidates passed the test on their first try, with that number jumping to 82 per cent once people who failed the first time took the test again.
But demographic breakdowns showed lower success rates, relative to other groups, for would-be teachers who identified as being from certain racialized backgrounds, French-language speakers, and older teacher candidates.
It is an issue with the test, rather than the teacher candidates themselves, said teachers’ federation president Chris Cowley.
“Teacher candidates are professionals, are well trained, but these tests show that it’s not a reflection of their ability to teach,” he said in an interview. “It’s certainly a reflection of some of the barriers that are being put in place.”
Premier Doug Ford’s government first launched the test in 2021 as part of an effort to boost students’ math scores, but it was challenged in court by a group of teacher candidates who argued the test had a disproportionate impact on racialized teacher candidates’ entry to the profession.
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A Divisional Court ruling sided with the teacher candidates, but the government appealed and won, and the province reinstated the test starting in the 2024-25 year.
The Appeal Court said the earlier ruling was based on preliminary data in 2021, which did show disparities, but when data up to the end of that year was factored in, including people who succeeded after multiple attempts, gaps were ultimately much smaller.
However, the new data from the fall of 2024 to the fall of 2025 appears to show some wide gaps even after multiple attempts. After three attempts, for example, 92 per cent of white candidates succeeded while 64 per cent of Black teacher candidates were successful.
The numbers also suggest that the vast majority of that one-third of Black teacher candidates who were still unsuccessful after three attempts gave up, and did not try again.
“What really troubles me is the question of how many great teachers did we lose as a result of the barrier that this math test put in place?” Cowley said. “That’s sad to think about, especially when we need teachers in our schools.”
Teachers’ unions have objected to the test being applied broadly to all teachers, questioning why a kindergarten teacher needed to be tested on secondary school math concepts or why an art teacher needed to pass a math test.
Bella Lewkowicz, who spearheaded the original court challenge, said these results substantiate the concerns raised during the court case.
“It was all very easy to see how things were going to unfold, and the fact that they unfolded predictably, it makes sense,” she said.
A spokesperson for Education Minister Paul Calandra said the government’s focus is on “supporting teachers and ensuring they are prepared and confident in the classroom.”
“The math proficiency requirement sets a clear and consistent standard and ensures teachers are ready to deliver the foundational skills students need to succeed,” Emma Testani wrote in a statement.
A score of at least 70 per cent on the test is considered a pass, and candidates can attempt it as many times as they want, for free.
But if teacher candidates need more support and more instruction in order to pass, they may be out of luck once their schooling is done, Cowley said.
“When it is warranted, teacher candidates are better served by receiving instruction in mathematics during their initial program at faculties of education,” he said. “This allows for feedback, mentorship and support from faculty instructors.”
In addition to race, there were other disparities in the results based on age and language. Candidates under 25 years old had a 78 per cent success rate on their first attempt, with that percentage decreasing with each age bracket, to 47 per cent for people 40 and over.
Overall, 71 per cent of candidates were successful on their first attempt of the English-language test, while 44 per cent were successful on the first try of the French-language test.
It’s something the government should address at a time when teacher recruitment challenges are particularly stark for French and technological education teachers, who tend to be older since they come to the profession with experience in their industry, Cowley said.
“On one side, they say we need more teachers in these certain areas,” he said. “On the other side, they’re putting up barriers for those teachers to enter the profession.”
