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4mo ago

Ontario Moves to Tie High-School Grades to Attendance and Bring Back Mandatory Exams

The plan responds to a steep slide in attendance to about 40 percent of students meeting the 90 percent threshold.

A teacher's desk in a classroom is seen at Wazoson Public School of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) in Ottawa, on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
Ontario Premier Doug Ford visits students at Highfield Junior Public School in Toronto on March 11, 2026.
In this classroom, the teachers desk has been moved to the corner to facilitate 2 metre spacing for student desks.
A classroom is shown in Toronto, Monday, Sept. 14, 2020.

Overview

  • The government has tabled a bill to make participation and attendance worth 15 percent of final marks in Grades 9 and 10 and 10 percent in Grades 11 and 12, with written exams required on official exam days.
  • Education Minister Paul Calandra says teachers proposed tying marks to showing up as a way to curb truancy and restore classroom order.
  • New provincial data show only about 40 percent of students meet the bar of being in class at least 90 percent of the time, with Grade 12 at 33 percent.
  • Teachers’ unions support the return of final exams but oppose grading attendance, urging smaller classes and more mental‑health support instead.
  • The bill also reduces school trustees’ roles and mandates approved classroom resources that teachers can supplement, while principals warn optional school‑climate surveys would weaken equity and well‑being data.