Concerned about a troubling slip in elementary math scores, the Ontario government will require all students from Grades 1 to 8 to have at least 60 minutes of math instruction a day starting in September.

In a $60 million “renewed math strategy” unveiled Monday by Education Minister Liz Sandals, Ontario also will require each school to have at least one “math lead teacher” — in larger schools, up to three — who is “deeply knowledgeable about teaching math” and who would receive up to five days of math professional development a year.

The government pledged more support for some 500 schools where math achievement is weak, more province-wide parent tipsheets, better access to online math homework help and professional development in math for some elementary schools’ entire staff.

“We know the jobs of today and tomorrow require key math skills and knowledge,” said Sandals, adding while Canadian students are still strong math performers on global tests, scores on Ontario’s standardized EQAO math tests slipped 7 percentage points in Grade 6 over the past five years, and 4 points in Grade 3.

It is the first time Ontario has stipulated how many of the daily 300 minutes of class time in elementary schools must be spent on one of the “3 Rs.” The province encourages teachers to spend 100 minutes per day on literacy, but some of that can be woven into lessons in other subjects, from art to science. But Sandals said the 60 minutes of math instruction must be actual math instruction.

Sam Hammond, president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, said he welcomes any investment in elementary education, but questioned the ongoing focus on literacy and numeracy, subjects measured each year in provincial standardized tests, which his union opposes as costly and unnecessary.

“It comes at the expense of the arts, science, geography, citizenship, physical education — why not $60 million on arts or science? It’s because we focus on subjects that are measured in a test one day a year.”

Toronto District School Board Math Coach Julia Atkins called the news “a good idea,” especially the professional development, which can make the difference for teachers like her — a humanities graduate — who learned math under the old rote system that left many suffering from math anxiety.

“The old system was basically ‘Here’s some rules; now follow them’ but that has to be balanced with the ability to use those skills to solve problems.”

Some teachers questioned which subjects they will have to cut to find 60 minutes for math, but many already spend that much time on math, suggested Poleen Grewal, superintendent of curriculum and instruction for the Peel District School Board, which is in the second year of a big push on math improvement.

“You’d actually have to spend that much time if you’re engaging in problem-solving; a lot of schools actually spend two 40- to 50-minute periods on math, so I don’t think 60 minutes is a stretch.”

Sample Question from Grade 6 math EQAO test:

Mr. Scott plans a class trip for the 30 students in his class. He must pay the following costs per student:

• admission: $3.80

• bus: $10.40

• snack: $5.55

• supplies: $7.31

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Round the costs to the nearest dollar and use them to estimate the total cost for the 30 students.

Answer: $810