Amid the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak, all Grade 6 and 9 provincial achievement exams and Grade 12 diploma exams have been cancelled in Alberta.
On Friday, the province released information about how students will continue to learn while they’re at home including online options, course packages or telephone check-ins. All classes in the province were cancelled on Sunday, as the world deals with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Government expects that every student, regardless of their geographic location or socioeconomic status, will continue to learn while in-school classes across the province are cancelled,” the news release read.
In an effort to identify what content needs to be delivered to students, teachers will take a look at the year’s curriculum and prioritize what hasn’t been covered and what’s manageable for students working from home.
Kindergarten to Grade 3
- Plans will focus on language and literacy as well as math outcomes of the provincial curriculum
- An average of five hours of work will be assigned per student per week and teachers will be expected to work with their students and parents on the delivery of the materials
Grades 4 to 6
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- Content will continue to focus on language and literacy and math, as well as an opportunity to incorporate science and social studies through “cross-curricular learning”
- An average of five hours of work will be assigned per student per week and teachers will be expected to work with their students and parents on the delivery of the materials
Grades 7 to 9
- Plans will focus on core math, language and literacy, science and social studies curriculum outcomes
- An average of 10 hours of work will be assigned per student per week and teachers will be expected to work with their students and parents on the delivery of the materials
Grades 10 to 12
- These students will focus on core courses required for high school graduation including language (English, French and French language arts, social studies, math, biology, chemistry and physics)
- Content from other courses will be delivered wherever possible and the government has put accommodations in place for students who are unable to complete their courses
- An average of three hours of work per course per week will be assigned and teachers will be expected to work with their students and parents on the delivery of the materials
Tadele Wakie has a son in Grade 1 at Belvedere Elementary school in Edmonton.
“Me and my wife are trying to help him as much as we can but it’s not like a school; it’s very different,” he said, adding he’s a bit worried about his son’s education..
“We can’t help him like the help he gets from school.”
The government also announced every student will receive final grades and will receive a report card appropriate to the grade level.
“All students who were on track to progress to the next grade will,” the government said.
High school students who were on track to receive the required 100 credits to graduate will still be eligible to receive a high school diploma. Principals have been given the ability to award up to 15 credits to students in Grade 12 whose program has been negatively impacted by cancellations.
“If the student is unable to complete a course that would have led them to achieving a high school diploma, such as a work experience or a career and technology studies course, principals have the ability to award credits to ensure the student graduates,” according to the news release.
Students wishing to write a diploma exam can speak to their teacher about how to go about doing that.
For any parent wishing to supplement their child’s learning experience, the government supplied a number of links. Those can be found on the government of Alberta’s website.
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