Ontario Modernizing School Science Curriculum

My colleagues, Minister Lecce and MPP Kramp, announced that the government is introducing a new and revised science and technology curriculum for Grades 1-8 and de-streaming the Grade 9 science course for the upcoming 2022-23 school year.

The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1 to 8: Science and Technology, 2022 and the planned changes to the new de-streamed Grade 9 science course are part of the government’s plan to align curriculum changes with the province’s economic needs and with an emphasis on critical life and job skills.  For the first time in Ontario history, the revised curriculum includes required learning on real-world connections between science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

New expectations include:

  • Coding: mandatory learning on coding from Grades 1 to 9, consistent with the math curriculum, to further enshrine Ontario as a STEM leader. For example, in Grade 3, students can learn how to program a small robot.
  • Connecting STEM Learning: for the first time, Ontario has dedicated learning expectations from Grades 1 to 9 which explicitly connects science, technology, engineering and mathematics to real-world issues.
  • Emerging technology: students will learn about the rise and application of advanced research, robotics and the development of artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Students can learn about the impact and application of AI in their daily lives, including facial recognition, autonomous vehicles, drones and search engines.
  • Skilled trades: mandatory learning from Grades 4 to 9 on the relationship between how advancements in science and emerging technologies are enhancing the skilled trades and providing viable careers.
  • Food literacy: learning related to food literacy in every grade that empowers students to make decisions that affect physical and mental health, consider local food production, and the scientific processes involved in agriculture.

The new curriculum will be implemented in September 2022, in time for the 2022-23 school year as part of the government’s plan to ensure that all students have the foundational, transferable, and entrepreneurial skills they need to compete in a rapidly changing world. We encourage you to share this news with your constituents.

News Release:

English: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1001722/ontario-modernizing-school-science-curriculum

French: https://news.ontario.ca/fr/release/1001722/lontario-modernise-son-programme-cadre-de-sciences