EQAO results reveal funding failures, not student ability

Editor’s Note: This December article remains a cornerstone of understanding of issues we face now.

Recent EQAO results have drawn renewed attention across Ontario’s education sector. The data shows many students performing below the provincial standard, a trend that has alarmed parents, educators, and policy advocates. Public discussion, however, risks missing the deeper issue. The results reflect long-standing funding and policy failures, not a sudden decline in student ability.

Education advocate Nigel Bariffe addressed this concern in a recent Education Action Toronto op-ed titled “EQAO Isn’t the Crisis; It’s Ford’s Diversion Tactics.” Bariffe argues the provincial government uses EQAO data to divert attention from chronic underfunding in public education. By focusing on test scores, policymakers shift the narrative away from: overcrowded classrooms, limited resources, and reduced student supports.

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) has raised similar concerns for decades. When the Ontario government announced plans in 2022 to expand large-scale standardized testing and shift EQAO assessments to a digital format for Grades 3 and 6, ETFO warned of significant implications for both students and educators.

ETFO has consistently maintained that standardized tests offer only a narrow snapshot of student learning. In contrast, daily classroom assessments provide a fuller, more accurate picture. Teachers design these assessments carefully and align them with curriculum expectations, student needs, and instructional goals. While standardized testing remains mandated in Grades 3, 6, and 9, many educators question its educational value.

Teachers continue to emphasize that classroom-based assessment best measures student learning. These assessments account for context, growth, and a range of skills that EQAO testing cannot capture. Despite these concerns, the province continues to rely heavily on EQAO results as a primary accountability tool.

ETFO’s warnings about digital testing now appear prescient. The federation previously stated that online assessment platforms introduce new barriers and equity concerns. Technology access, digital literacy, and test conditions vary widely across schools. ETFO stressed the need for deeper investigation into how online standardized testing affects student performance and learning outcomes.

More than 15 years ago, ETFO explored these issues in its video “Is EQAO Failing Our Children?” The video features interviews with teachers, parents, and education experts. Their message remains consistent: classroom assessments offer the most reliable insight into student progress. These assessments support learning, evaluate the whole child, measure diverse skills, and respond to individual learning needs. They also reflect contextual factors that standardized tests ignore.

Following the latest EQAO release, ETFO issued a press statement on December 3^rd, 2025. The federation criticized the government’s continued reliance on standardized testing while dismissing educator expertise. ETFO renewed its call to end what it describes as a costly and ineffective testing program. The federation urged the province to redirect EQAO funding into classrooms through smaller class sizes and stronger student support.

ETFO President David Mastin reinforced these concerns. He highlighted rising workloads, increasing violence in schools, and growing class sizes. Mastin questioned why the government remains fixated on EQAO results while educators struggle to meet student needs. He also raised concerns about political interference in EQAO’s operations, noting that the agency is meant to function independently.

Critics have long argued that EQAO fails to address educational inequities. Research shows the testing program has not closed achievement gaps along racial or socio-economic lines. Instead, EQAO shifts accountability away from government responsibility and onto educators. This shift obscures the real drivers of educational outcomes: funding, policy decisions, and systemic support.

As debate around EQAO continues, educators and advocates remain clear. Ontario’s students need investment, not distraction. Test scores alone will never tell the full story.