Grade 12 provincial final exams no longer happening in Manitoba
From a pandemic pause to a permanent practice, Grade 12 students in Manitoba are no longer having to take final exams.
The province confirmed to CTV News Winnipeg that final exams for English, French and math classes have all stopped and haven’t been taken since January 2020.
The St. James-Assiniboia School Division said in a statement that the final week when exams were to usually take place, has now been replaced with an extra week of learning and final projects are to be scheduled for that week. The division said exams accounted for 25 to 30 per cent of a student’s final grade.
The Winnipeg School Division said the final week will now be used for final assessments and how the assessment is done is determined by each school.
Matt Henderson, the assistant superintendent with the Seven Oaks School Division said the switch to project-based learning prepares students for different kinds of careers.
“We want to make sure that learners are academically prepared in all sorts of ways. That there is sense of mastery, that they’ve mastered content and skills. There’s a sense of identity, that they have been inducted into the adult world through passionate educators so they see themselves as a mathematician, so they see themselves as a chef, they see themselves as a high performance athlete” he said. “We also want to ensure that learners are able to produce something that wasn’t there before, we call that creativity.”
Henderson feels exams are in place to check if the school system is actually working and are not actually preparing kids for the future.
“We know it’s the feedback and not a number or a grade or a stamp on a paper that’s actually going to push learning forward.”
Horace Luong, the associate dean of student experience at the University of Manitoba said mental health struggles are also common themes during exams as students deal with testing anxiety.
Even though Grade 12 exams are ending, the province said it is working with educators to create a new Grade 10 evaluation process.
“More information will be available once communication flows to education stakeholders, which is planned shortly,” a spokesperson for the province said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Steve Albini, legendary producer for Nirvana, the Pixies and an alternative rock pioneer, dies at 61
Steve Albini, an alternative rock pioneer and legendary producer who shaped the musical landscape through his work with Nirvana, the Pixies, PJ Harvey and more, has died. He was 61.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.