Ford government announces major changes to Ontario's education system

Reforms were not as sweeping as some critics had anticipated

Cbc.ca
March 15, 2019

The Ford government revealed significant changes to Ontario's education system on Friday, including increased intermediate and high school class sizes, new elementary math and sex ed curricula and a province-wide ban on cellphones in the classroom.

Education Minister Lisa Thompson announced the reforms at a morning news conference at the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto.

The average class size requirements for secondary Grades 9 to 12 will be adjusted to 28, up from the current average of 22.

The increase would align Ontario "more closely to other jurisdictions across Canada," the government said in a news release. Similarly, the average class size for intermediate Grades 4 to 8 will increase to 24.5, up slightly from 23.84.

The government committed to maintaining the current caps on class sizes for kindergarten and primary grades at 29 and 23, respectively.

Thompson said the changes were developed from public consultations that gathered input from some 72,000 people.

Watch segment here: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-education-system-changes-1.5057122