The Ontario government says it is making record investments in publicly funded education as students and teachers return to school for the 2026-27 year.
Students and teachers are returning to updated curriculum, new classroom resources and supports, clearer and more consistent expectations, and continued investment in new and expanded schools, according to the province.
“Our focus is clear: putting student achievement first and ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed,” said Paul Calandra, Minister of Education. “We are making record investments in education, and we expect those investments to deliver better results for students. We are giving teachers the tools and resources they need, giving parents clearer information and greater confidence in their child’s education, and making sure students are building strong skills to succeed in school and prepare for the future.”
For the first time this school year, eligible elementary homeroom teachers have direct access to $750 annually to purchase classroom supplies, in addition to existing funding school boards receive. Following a competitive procurement process led by Supply Ontario, Staples Canada was selected to deliver the new Classroom Supplies Fund, which includes an online portal with 220 core products identified through feedback from more than 23,000 Ontario teachers, offered at prices lower than in-store or online Staples pricing. Staples Canada has also set up a dedicated customer service line to address any price differences teachers find.
The government is backing the changes with $30.6 billion in Core Education Funding for the 2026-27 school year. This fall, 35 new and expanded schools are opening across Ontario, creating more than 18,300 student spaces and 1,130 licensed child care spaces through an investment of more than $1 billion, as part of a nearly $30-billion, 10-year plan to build, expand and renew schools province-wide.
Students and families will see several changes in classrooms this year, including new provincewide standards for secondary assessment and grading, mandatory written exams in most courses, clearer expectations around attendance and participation, a new Grade 10 financial literacy requirement, updated kindergarten and history curriculum, paper report cards for elementary students and new curriculum-aligned classroom resources for teachers.
Every school board now has a Student and Family Support Office, giving families another place to turn when concerns cannot be resolved at the school level. Classroom work will account for 65 per cent of final grades for secondary students, while final evaluations will account for 20 per cent in grades 9 and 10 and 25 per cent in grades 11 and 12, with written final exams returning in most courses. Attendance and participation will count for 15 per cent of final grades in grades 9 and 10, and 10 per cent in grades 11 and 12, while ensuring students are not penalized for excused absences.
The province’s Advisory Body on Student Achievement and Assessment is leading a review of student achievement and assessment, including how to strengthen outcomes in reading, writing and math. Ontario is also equipping teachers with modernized English and French classroom resources through Nelson Education’s Edwin platform.
