A Grande Prairie high school student says they and classmates remain concerned over college applications without the usually mandatory diploma exams if the teachers strike continues on.
The Alberta Government says amid the teacher strike, students will be given the option to not take the November exams, and it will not effect the post-secondary schools application process, with grades for the semester having a greater weight in the end of semester marks.
Grade 12 Student Addison Beach says she remains worried that post-secondary institutions will favour students who take the exam, and that both her and her friends still plans to take them regardless.
“I worry that colleges will be selective, and favour those who choose to do the diplomas over those who don’t. All my friends who plan on going to college or university plan on taking them.”
Beach says that she remains very worried that come November on what will be on the diplomas, and that there is a real lack of accommodation being made from the government towards students at this time.
“I feel that it is a little bit unfair, because we have all missed so much instructional time, and the lack of accommodation for students have left a lot of people, including my self, to feel like we have to take them in order to be taken seriously by colleges. We have missed so much time, I’m scared that there will be lots of content about diplomas that we have missed.”
The diploma exams are still set to take place on the regular set date. As of right now, the January and June diplomas have had no changes made.
