Ontario's top court has upheld the validity of a mandatory math test for new teachers.
The Appeal Court decision released today quashes a lower court ruling that found the test was unconstitutional because it had a disproportionate impact on racialized teachers, infringing on equality provisions in the charter.
The Ontario government fought that ruling and the Appeal Court today sided with the province, saying that decision was based on preliminary and incomplete data.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce says he is pleased with the decision and wants to assure parents that the people educating students have fundamental math skills.
Premier Doug Ford's government introduced the test as part of an effort _ including a new curriculum _ to improve students' scores on standardized math tests.
Teachers' unions objected to the test being applied broadly to all teachers, questioning why a kindergarten teacher needed to be tested on secondary school math concepts or why an art teacher needed to pass a math test.