Ontario's landmark student assessment agency is facing a critical juncture. The province's Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO), a cornerstone of educational measurement for three decades, is now under official review. This move by Education Minister Paul Calandra, announced in December 2025, comes in response to another round of concerning provincial test scores, particularly in mathematics, reading, and writing.
The Backlash and the Data
The announcement triggered immediate and predictable criticism from some education professors and teachers' unions, who often contend that such tests fail to capture essential learning. However, Minister Calandra's decision was driven by a more substantial concern: clear evidence that a significant number of Ontario students are struggling with core academic skills. Once again, it is the objective data from EQAO assessments that has brought this systemic issue into the public arena.
These independent, arm's-length provincial tests act as a crucial litmus test for educational quality. They provide transparency, revealing successes and exposing problems that might otherwise remain concealed within the system. Without the EQAO, parents across Ontario would lack a reliable benchmark to understand how their children's performance measures against provincial standards. Furthermore, governments might be tempted to downplay or obscure unfavourable student achievement trends.
A Model for National Accountability
Calandra's review highlights not just the continued relevance of the EQAO but underscores an urgent need to fortify its independence and modernize its reporting mechanisms. This moment also casts a spotlight on a broader Canadian challenge: the country requires more robust provincial assessment agencies, not fewer. Ontario established the EQAO in 1996 in direct response to parents demanding clarity and accountability, moving beyond an opaque internal ministry reporting system.
By creating EQAO as an independent Crown agency, Ontario pioneered a model capable of delivering objective, comparable data on student achievement. This approach was later validated by research. A 2019 study by Saskatchewan assessment expert Derek Copp confirmed what many practitioners believed: EQAO set the gold standard in Canada for the public disclosure of school performance data.
Public Trust and the Path Forward
Despite persistent criticism from certain quarters of the educational establishment, public confidence in the EQAO has remained notably steady. The 2018 OISE Survey of Educational Issues revealed that approximately half of parents and a majority of the general public continue to support universal student testing. Over 50% of respondents agreed that EQAO results are reliable indicators of a school's performance.
The current review of the EQAO represents more than a routine administrative check. It is a pivotal opportunity to strengthen a vital institution that provides transparency and drives improvement. The lessons learned from Ontario's three-decade experience with standardized assessment should serve as a blueprint for other provinces aiming to build accountable, data-informed education systems that truly serve all students.
