Alberta cancels January provincial exams due to three-week teacher strike, giving students April or June options with no impact on graduation eligibility.
Strike disruption prompts exam cancellation
Following a three-week work stoppage by the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA), the Alberta Education announced on Friday afternoon that high-school students will not face the scheduled January provincial diploma exams. The strike had removed significant instruction time, prompting the move.
Affected exams and alternative timing
The decision covers both the diploma exams for Grades 10–12 and the provincial achievement tests for Grade 9 pupils. Students will now have the choice to sit the diploma exams in April or June instead of January. Those who opt not to write in January will have their final marks based entirely on school-based coursework.
Impact on transcripts and post-secondary admission
For students who skip the January session, their transcripts will show a notation that the exam was “not written,” rather than a failed mark. Alberta Education emphasises that this will not affect their prospects for advancing into university or college programs, nor will it impede graduation eligibility.
Teachers’ strike and timeline
The ATA strike began on October 6 and continued until a provincially-imposed legislative order forced teachers back to work on Wednesday. The lost three weeks of classroom time raised concerns among students, parents and educators about fairness and academic readiness.
Expert reactions and equity concerns
Jason Schilling, president of the ATA, welcomed the decision, saying students “shouldn’t be punished for something else that was out of their control.” Meanwhile, Tim Coates, a retired director of diploma examinations and instructor at the University of Alberta, cautioned that mixing exam- and coursework-only assessments may create equity issues: some students will have official standardized data from an exam while others will not.
Student voices and petition movement
In Calgary, Grade 12 student Rishmanjot Singh initiated a petition calling for the January exams to be made optional; by Friday night it had nearly 30,000 signatures. Singh noted widespread concern among peers and parents that the shortened instructional period would leave insufficient time to prepare for high-stakes exams.
