Math 3205 public exam cancelled

Education Minister Judy Foote has announced the public exam for Mathematics 3205 will be cancelled for this year only.

"Consultations with school boards, high school curriculum specialists and classroom teachers have revealed a number of reasons why this particular public exam should be cancelled this year," Minister Foote said.

"Math 3205 is a new advanced-level course. We have been told that the combination of new content and new teaching strategies created a problem when allocating time to each unit of study. While this is not unusual when new courses are being implemented, I am told that in this case it resulted in extensive time being spent on some units, leaving insufficient time to cover others in detail,"said the minister.

This situation was exacerbated by events which took place at the beginning of the school year, specifically the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks where a number of schools were closed to accommodate stranded passengers, and then by a support workers strike which affected seven school districts in the province.

"As a result of the strike, for example, books for the Math 3205 course were not delivered until the middle of October. This added to the difficulty for some students who - through no fault of their own - missed a significant amount of classroom time during the early part of the school year. This put students in some districts at a distinct disadvantage when compared to others taking the same course elsewhere in the province."

Students enrolled in the Math 3205 course will still be tested on the course work, but it will take the form of a common exam, which will be marked by the teachers who taught the course, rather than a provincial marking board. This will permit teachers to use their professional judgment in obtaining a fair evaluation for the student.

"The decision to cancel the public examination was not made lightly," Minister Foote said. "It was made following extensive consultations with those who deal with our students every day in the high schools of our province. I respect their opinions and accept their professional advice on this matter."

Media contact: Catherina Kennedy, Communications, (709) 729-0048

2002 05 09                              5:15 p.m.