May 24, 1996
(Education)

BACKGROUNDER Cancellation of Public Examinations
Questions and Answers

• Question 1: How will students be evaluated?
  
  • All students will be evaluated by their classroom teachers who will submit final marks to the Department of Education.

  Question 2: Will the department adjust or scale marks submitted by teachers?
  

  • No. Marks submitted from the schools will be considered final.

  Question 3: Can students appeal their final marks?
  

  • Yes, but all appeals will be the responsibility of the school and school district personnel.

  Question 4: How will marks be determined for private candidates who are writing supplementary examinations?
  

  • These students will write the public examinations at the scheduled time in the schools where they ordinarily would have done so. Private candidates should make sure they contact their high schools to confirm this.

  Question 5: Who will supervise the examinations for private candidates?
  

  • An external supervisor will be appointed as per the normal procedure for administering public examinations.

  Question 6: What will happen to the public examinations papers which are already in the schools?
  

  • Examinations can be retained by the schools but no examinations can be opened before the scheduled examination dates since private candidates writing supplementaries will be using these exams on the scheduled date.

  Question 7: What will happen to the Language 3109 public examination which was written by approximately 2,000 students in January?
  

  • The Department of Education will honour its commitment to mark these examinations, as it will for the marking of examinations written by private candidates.

  Question 8: Will there be common standards for determining final marks?
  

  • Individual teachers will apply their own standards to marking as they have to the non-public examination courses.

  Question 9: What are the implications for admission to postsecondary institutions?
  

  • Postsecondary institutions in this province and outside the province have always accepted the high school certification marks provided by the Department of Education. There is no reason to believe that there will be any change in that policy for this year.

  Question 10: How will scholarship winners be selected?
  

  • A special scholarship examination is being prepared and will be made available to all students who wish to register for that examination. Schools will register students with the Department of Education and administer this examination on a specified date. These examinations will be returned to the department where standardized procedures for marking will be applied.

  Contact: Carl Cooper, Director of Public Relations, (709) 729-0048