If you plan to be a teacher in the province of Ontario, you'll have to pass a math test.
The Progressive Conservatives have introduced legislation that will make the testing mandatory, although current teachers will not be subjected to it.
Lisa Thompson, Ontario’s education minister, announced the new requirement Thursday.
She described it as a way to make new teachers better prepared to teach math to students.
“We’ve heard anecdotally, and we’ve seen the evidence, that teachers are sometimes hesitant to teach some math,” Thompson said at a news conference.
Earlier this year, the agency that administers standardized assessments in the province said math test scores among public elementary students in Ontario have been decreasing over the last five years and suggested that efforts by the previous Liberal government to reverse the trend haven't worked.
Opposition critics say the government should be bolstering curriculum supports and teacher training instead of imposing a test on teachers.
— with files from The Canadian Press and CTV News