January exams cancelled for Grade 12 students in Manitoba

High school seniors sweating about provincial exams can breathe a little easier for now.

Manitoba's education minister sent letters to school divisions this week, saying the Grade 12 exams scheduled for January 2021 are cancelled.

The decision was made due to the mix of in-class and remote learning for students this year as schools continue to balance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, Education Minister Kelvin Goertzen explained in the letter.

"Concerns have been expressed that the blended learning environment, and possible transition to remote learning, compromises the equal access to instruction," the letter says.

"While some students have returned to full in-class learning scenarios, many have not. The implementation of a provincial test in this context raises questions around the fairness to students and the validity of the data if the tests were to proceed."

'Responsible decision'

Brian O'Leary, superintendent of the Seven Oaks School Division in Winnipeg, said students' grades will be assessed through classwork rather than exam results.

"I think it's just a common-sense decision this year. Putting aside that whole question of provincial exams, given the circumstances, it's just a responsible decision," he said.

"A standardized provincial exam is just not something that adds a lot of value [in a situation like this year]. It adds a stress that we can probably do without … and I'm not sure the results would have been all that reliable."

Many students in the division are alternating their days between in-class and at-home lessons, and that also makes it challenging for teachers to organize course materials, he said.

The decision to abandon the January exams means students and teachers can now focus on recovery learning from the interruptions that COVID-19 created when in-school learning was cancelled in March, officials said.

"I hope kids are well served by putting everything they can into their education," O'Leary said.

Students were encouraged to continue online-based learning from home when schools closed in the spring, but not everyone had the capability to do so. As a result, the province announced that grades would go no lower than what they were before classes were suspended.

That led to many students just giving up on school for the remainder of the year.

"There were students … who had a passing mark and just took it and missed a chunk of content in their courses," O'Leary said.

"So teachers are working really hard to serve kids who are in more different places than they were previously."

The cancellation of January exams should help alleviate both teachers' and students' anxiety, Goertzen's letter says.

Students CBC News spoke with at Grant Park High School were relieved by the news, though some were worried about the impact on their grades. 

"If they did have it on, like we're not going to school every single day, it's kind of hard for us to learn and through online courses, but now that they've cancelled it I feel like it's just a fair opportunity," said William Onunkwo.

"I'm glad we don't have them but I don't know if we're gonna get the proper marks," said Brandon Lockheart.

"It's just completely different. I just don't know what to expect."

No decisions have been made about the exams in May and June. A decision about those will be made in February, the letter says.

CBC has requested an interview with Goertzen.