Ontario students better at reading than math

New tests show there are provincial differences in classrooms when it comes to math, reading and science.

The latest test results released by the Council of Ministers of Education show Ontario students are ahead in reading but not in math, while those in Quebec are ahead in math but struggling in science. Quebec was the only province to stay ahead in math.

Researchers say the reason why Quebec students do so well in math is due to intensive teacher training and a curriculum that balances basic math drills and problem-solving approaches.

The pan-Canadian assessment program test was given to a sample of over 32,000 grade 8 students from across the country last year.