A single test cannot accurately or fairly reflect a candidate’s capabilities as an educator. Teaching is a multifaceted profession that requires diverse skills, including empathy, adaptability, and communication—none of which are measured by taking one single test, on one singular subject. Passing a mathematics test does not determine effective teaching, as the Math Proficiency Test (MPT) fails to assess the full range of qualities that are essential to equitable education. By reducing a candidate’s competency and ability to teach to a numerical score, the MPT undermines the development of the holistic teaching skills that our education system requires.

Recently, the Ontario Government has reinstated the Mathematics Proficiency Test (MPT) into the certification requirements for teacher candidates as of February 1, 2025. This test will determine whether or not teacher candidates will be able to teach in Ontario. The test will assess candidates' mathematical knowledge on topics ranging from grades 3 to 9, with a third of it addressing how to enforce math in a pedagogical way. The implementation of the MPT test involves completing the test within a limited time, forcing teacher candidates to answer a series of 71 questions, both mathematical and pedagogical, in the maximum time of 3 hours.

Considering this, it is important to note that the implementation of this test and its timing are detrimental to teacher candidates across the province. The decision to force teacher candidates to successfully complete the Math Proficiency Test (MPT) in order to pursue their careers imposes unnecessary barriers and creates several challenges for candidates across the province. When applying to Teacher Education Programs in Ontario, mathematics at specific levels was not a requirement. There were also no established success criteria for admission to a Teacher Education Program. In other words, admission or ability to teach was not based solely on mathematical marks.

The Math Proficiency Test (MPT) is now being expected for all current teacher candidates who do not submit a complete application to the Ontario College of Teachers for a Certificate of Qualification and Registration before February 1, 2025. Essentially, by reinstating the MPT, it puts second year teacher candidates, who are on route to graduation, at a significant disadvantage, as they are allocated only half the time to successfully pass the test. This has the potential to delay full certification, and therefore, causes unnecessary stress levels, governing future educators to question their validation in the program.

In relation to second year teacher candidates, more than halfway through completing the Teacher Education Program, they are now forced to adapt to the changing requirements set in place by the Ontario government and will be required to pass all components of the test with at least a 70% in each section. Changing the professional qualifications in the middle of a certification program is wrong, in any area of ANY profession. Information regarding taking a test in order to pursue our careers, which we have studied extremely hard for and have spent our hard-earned money on, was not available to teacher candidates currently in the program. This is time and money teacher candidates will never get back. The Math Proficiency Test (MPT) contributes to anxiety and frustration among candidates who are already facing intense pressures in their programs. This added burden is not only unjustified but also counterproductive, as it impairs candidates’ mental well-being and readiness to enter the workforce with confidence.

To conclude, it is crucial to note that the Math Proficiency Test (MPT) completely supports and embodies standardized testing, a tool which has led to gaps in the data collection. In addition, the MPT fails to recognize, or deal, with the current issue at hand. The MPT was created due to the low mathematical scores collected of students across Ontario. However its focus is targeting new teacher candidates, some of which will never have to teach mathematics as their teachable subjects or will not have to teach mathematics at certain grade levels. It is important to note that the MPT only creates deepened gaps throughout the education system, fostering an inaccurate representation of how eligible a teacher is in the government's eyes. The MPT serves as a barrier to entry for many qualified individuals, particularly from underrepresented groups. This contributes to a lack of diversity in the teaching workforce, which is essential for a well-rounded educational experience.

We encourage all teacher candidates, current teachers, support staff throughout education, those in the Ontario government who are actively fighting against this standardized test, and those who simply support an equitable approach to education to sign this petition and show their support for our current teacher candidates across Ontario.

Teacher candidates across Ontario deserve to be assessed on their professional capabilities, commitment to student success, and their ability to grow in the role—not by a singular test score. Effective teaching cannot be reduced to a numerical score or limited to a single skillset, such as math proficiency.

We ask the Ontario Government to prioritize the holistic assessment of teacher candidates and to reconsider this narrow and counterproductive certification requirement.