Math achievement was declining long before the pandemic, making the challenge ahead even more difficult
How are our kids doing in math? An odd question, perhaps, as COVID-19 school disruptions drag on, but even in a pandemic we need to pay attention to such important matters. Academic achievement is cumulative — learning builds on and from earlier learning. We know students lose a little ground when school is out for the summer. COVID disruptions have taken a heavier toll. If math achievement was declining before the pandemic, then our schools face an even more difficult challenge moving forward.
Unfortunately, as noted in my new Fraser Institute study, co-authored with Vincent Geloso, average math scores in Canada have been declining for years, since well before COVID — and it’s not just the Canadian average that has been falling, but the scores in all provinces. Given the strategic importance of math literacy in digital economies, this is disturbing news. To avoid falling further behind other countries, and to regain lost ground due to COVID, we must improve math teaching and learning.
