How about disbanding EQAO?

RE: Public board needs a ‘reset’ after ‘disappointing’ test results (Sept. 23)

Making students sit through 60 minutes of math every day is hardly a guarantee EQAO math scores will improve. If you don’t have a gift in math, your teacher has it harder teaching math than other classes and/or you don’t feel any motivation to get through anything, it will be harder if not impossible to improve.

Various educational gurus can hope and pray as much as they want that inquiry-based learning will improve students’ math skills but in the long run it will only help students who have natural aptitude in math.

If you’re not good at something, it’s not fair to be expected to have to teach yourself via that means. Something else that concerns me is that no one seems to be expected to learn their times tables. I have to assume that’s linked to the transition to inquiry-based learning, but frankly, it’s not right. I’m not saying memorizing is a joy at the beginning, great as it is since it saves time and energy as time goes on.

If anything needs a reset, it’s our approach to teaching and learning math. Positive as inquiry is for some students, it shouldn’t be forced on everyone, let alone prevent developing basic math skills that are necessary for operating in society at large during adulthood.

To be honest, it would help if we moved away from a test-happy culture, too. Anyone’s results can vary according to text anxiety, being sick at large and/or natural strength in classes. How about disbanding EQAO and balancing a return to tradition with so-called modern approaches to math? Sounds about right, doesn’t it? Amy Soule, Hamilton