Quebec suspends R score for winter term in CEGEPs amid coronavirus pandemic

Quebec’s education minister has confirmed that the grades for the winter semester in the province’s CEGEPs will not count as part of the cote de rendement au collégial, a classification method known as CRC, or R score, which ranks students based on their academic performance.

The announcement, which was made on Monday, comes as schools remain closed during the novel coronavirus pandemic until at least May 4.

Jean-François Roberge said that the decision was made in line with other actions taken by the government and to ensure that CEGEP students are not punished by a situation out of their control.

“Our desire is to ensure that no student is unfairly penalized because of COVID-19,” he said in a statement. “I am aware that students who have had access to optimal teaching conditions may be disappointed with this decision. Unfortunately, not everyone was so lucky.”

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The Quebec government announced in mid-March that it was shuttering post-secondary institutions and schools in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

While some students have resumed classes online, measures taken by teachers and CEGEPs are not uniform across all schools in the province.

As a result, the government says that it is difficult to calculate the R score due to gaps in learning during the health crisis.

The government added that its decision is in line with the position taken by the Fédération des cégeps, the Fédération universitaire collégiale du Québec and education unions.

The score, which is issued three times a year based on the semester, is based on a student’s performance and compared with their classmates. The system is used by universities for admissions.

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— With files from the Canadian Press