THUNDER BAY – Lakehead Public Schools has cancelled Monday’s scheduled EQAO Grade 9 math assessment test, citing labour sanctions put in place by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation.
Teachers, who are in a labour dispute with the province, have decided not to administer this year’s test, prompting the cancellation.
“We appreciated the patience and understanding of Lakehead Public Schools families,” the board wrote in a release issued on Thursday.
A day earlier the province announced boards have been given permission to delay the standardized test until June.
Minister of Education Stephen Lecce, in a statement released on Wednesday, said it’s unfortunate that the labour dispute is having a negative effect on students, despite the union saying its job action would not impact them.
“It is unfair that union actions are undermining student success. They are jeopardizing the learning experience of Ontario's future leaders. The government believes in setting students up for success and providing students, parents, and the province with data and insights needed to make critical policy decisions,” Lecce said.
“School boards will make local decisions about whether the province-wide EQAO Grade 9 math assessment, originally scheduled to start next week, should proceed.”
The Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board has not publicly made a decision on whether it will hold the test.
Ontario’s English Catholic Teachers’ Association is set to launch job action starting on Monday, as its teachers seek a new contract with the province.
