“Testing does not grow confidence, competency, or proficiency.”

That’s the reaction in a statement from the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario to word from the Doug Ford Progressive Conservatives at Queen’s Park that all aspiring teachers in this province will be required to pass a math proficiency test before receiving their license to teach.

Education Minister Lisa Thompson has announced the bill called the Safe and Supportive Classrooms Act.

“There could be teachers graduating with nothing more than grade eleven math and so we need to ensure that our students have teachers in front of them that have the capacity to teach them math that’s required for today and jobs of the future,” Thompson explained.

The law once passed would not subject current teachers to the math test … but will make the quiz mandatory for new educators.