Grade 9 EQAO tests cancelled at public board amid ongoing job action

Grade 9 public school students in Windsor-Essexwon't be writing the EQAOmath test due to the ongoing labour dispute between teachers and the province.

Teachers with the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF) are not participating in the Ontario-wide testing, as a part of the legal job action. Those tests were expected to happenMonday.

But the Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB) said it would be "very challenging" to administer the quiz without the help of high school instructors.

On Wednesday, the Minister of Education announced each school board would decided whether or not the EQAO tests would proceed.

Make-up tests?

The GECDSB is waiting for direction from the ministry to see if make-up testing will be made available.

But the public board said it would be challenging for staff and students to take the math quiz in the second semester, if those teens aren't studying math at that time.

Members of OSSTFacross the province have been engaging in a limited withdrawal of services since Nov. 26, 2019.

The teachers' union saidthejob action is happening over concernsabout larger class sizes, mandatory e-learning and education funding cuts being implemented by Doug Ford'sgovernment.