Provincial exams for high school students are scheduled to begin next week. Reports indicate that BCTF members (taking job action) will not mark the exams. What will happen in Oliver?

Cate Turner, high school principal says “my understanding is that to mark provincial exams principals and vice-principals need to have both expertise in the given subject area and current classroom experience (last 2 years)  regarding that particular course”.

Bev Young, Superintendent of Schools says the Ministry eliminated all optional government exams.  Teachers are required to mark some sections of the English 10 exam and the Social Studies 11 exam.  Under the Essential Services Order, the Labour Relations Board ruled that during Phase 1 job action BCTF members need not perform certain duties including:

Administer or supervise FSA or any District or Ministry test.

In early December the Labour Relations Board issued an interim decision on the local marking of provincial exams as it was the BCTF’s position that this activity can and should be performed by excluded and management personnel and BCPSEA’s position was that the ruling of the LRB did not address the marking.

The December 2nd decision of the LRB issued a ruling, on an interim basis, that:  “BCTF members will continue to mark identified provincial exams as they have in the past, subject to administrators being utilized to the best extent possible.  The parties should discuss how to implement this direction at the local level and ensure that marking is done in a timely manner to ensure a student’s progress is not impeded”

So, locally, we have a plan in place where administrators and in some cases, excluded staff have a schedule to invigilate the provincial exams.  As far as marking, we are still working out some details on that and I am meeting with the Union … to discuss this and how grade 12 marks will be reported.

 invigilate: to supervise students while they are doing an examination