TORONTO – After two years in which due to the Covid-19 pandemic, students have been tossed between distance learning and face-to-face lessons, parents are wondering what the next school year will be like. Today, during a press conference, Education Minister Stephen Lecce anticipated some funding from his government for the year 2022-23. “Funds to support the recovery of educational programs never completed and for those of mental health of students – said the minister – all this to allow them to start a more normal school year than the latter two”. 

Ontario’s Learning Recovery Action Plan is a five-point plan aimed at enhancing learning recovery in reading and math anchored in support for tutoring, summer learning, and mental health.

But, in addition to the allocation of funds, it should be noted that it will be imposed on all school boards to offer again the option for completely virtual study also next year.

Although in-person learning is the preferred option that the province wants parents and pupils to choose, Education Ministry officials said they want all school boards in September to give parents a chance to prefer distance learning as the Covid-19 pandemic is constantly evolving and it is not possible to predict what will happen in seven months’ time.

And Lecce today said that about 150,000 of the more than two million students of public schools in the province this year are following classes from home. “Their parents and some teachers believe that online classes for this small minority of children are important, a strength – said the minister – this is why we will continue to offer this option next year”.

Meanwhile, primary schools will resume EQAO standardized testing this spring after a pandemic-induced two-year hiatus. Starting this spring, all elementary schools in Ontario will again engage in standardized testing in classes 3 and 6. Officials said this is necessary to assess where students are in their learning after two tumultuous years marked by school closures. In reality, it is not so difficult to imagine that the study, during these two years, has not gone well.

The tests provide parents, school staff and supervisors with information that helps identify students’ strengths and weaknesses in the areas of reading, writing and math, but the TCDSB, like perhaps other Ontario school boards, would like to see the postponement of EQAO tests that would be only additional stress on children at this time. However, the ministry decided to go ahead with the tests.

The selected high schools resumed standardized tests in the fall of 2021, with 140,000 high school students completing, to date, tests in grade 9 for math or grade 10 for literacy.

Overall funding for school operations, known as grants for student needs, will increase from $25.6 billion this school year to $26.1 billion for 2022-2023.

Education Minister Lecce also announced $176 million in additional funding for tutoring or educational support for students both face-to-face and online, as well as a $93 million increase to the $3.25 billion budget for special education in schools.