Ontario has a math culture problem

The latest lacklustre EQAO math results in Grades 6 and 9 have once again brought mathematics education in Ontario’s schools back into the headlines. The debate about what to do next follows familiar lines. Perhaps more funding or a new curriculum will fix things. Perhaps the tests themselves are the problem. As a mathematician who has taught first-year university students for over three decades, I don’t think any of these explanations fully get at the key issues.

EQAO scores matter, but not for the reasons most people think. While they do signal a lack of core mathematical skills, they also point to something deeper about the way we view the subject.

Every fall semester, I teach math to 17- and 18-year-old first-year students enrolled in programs in mathematics, computer science, and engineering. Many arrive at university with strong marks in math and science. Despite that, I see an increasing number of incoming students struggling with fundamentals such as basic algebra, sets, polynomials, and logical reasoning.

While I don’t expect incoming university students to be math prodigies, I do expect them to possess core competencies. I expect students to be comfortable with routine algebra, be able to calculate and reason, and not give up when a new concept is initially confusing. Without those skills, it becomes difficult for them to succeed in university mathematics.

Besides the challenges with our students’ core math skills, a certain cultural norm is apparent to me among both students and parents. When I meet people socially and tell them I am a mathematician, the most common response is “I hate math” or “I was never a math person.” This is usually said casually, even humorously. While I’ve grown used to it, those exchanges still are unsettling. Why boast about being bad at a subject? It is hard to imagine meeting an English professor and saying proudly, “I hate reading” or “I hate words.”

When adults signal their dislike of math, they may, even unintentionally, pass that on to children. Over time, mathematical skill is treated as a personality trait rather than a learned skill. The resignation that you are not a math person can become deeply ingrained long before high school or university.

So what would it actually take to help students better embrace mathematics? We need to normalize struggle. Math is learned by working through difficult problems, making mistakes, and correcting them. Students who succeed are not necessarily more talented, just more practiced. Confidence in math doesn’t come from being told you’re a “math person.” It comes from doing the work and seeing that it pays off.

For a contrasting perspective, consider Quebec, whose students consistently outperform those in Ontario in mathematics on large-scale assessments like PISA and PCAP. Quebec, unlike Ontario, uses province-wide ministerial exams that count significantly toward students’ grades. When a test has low stakes for students, we can’t expect them to do their best. These exams are not perceived as controversial but are viewed as a normal part of education in the province.

For even starker contrasts, go further afield to countries like Singapore, Estonia, Japan, and China. Students there are exposed to demanding, structured curricula in math and are expected to put in many hours of practice.

I am not recommending that we turn classrooms into test-prep factories. Good math teaching involves a healthy mix of approaches to engage students, ranging from rote learning to discovery to real-world applications. Math in the classroom can even be fun.

The political debate around EQAO scores too often becomes the main attraction. The fact is that in the last two decades, no government in Ontario has fully delivered on improving students’ math outcomes. If Ontario wants to improve math results, we should focus more on what students need upon graduation. Math isn’t just about numbers. It trains you to think carefully and communicate clearly, skills that matter whether you become a plumber, a banker, or a theoretical physicist. Your math skills are built gradually through practice and high-stakes testing.

When thinking about the culture of math education in Ontario, the EQAO results shouldn’t be ignored, but they can’t be our only focus. Important work lies in shifting our culture away from one that fears mathematics to one that more fully embraces it.​