Swine flu cancels exam exemptions in Halifax area
Last Updated: Monday, November 2, 2009 | 11:56 PM AT
CBC News
Sara Hamilton studies her notes from biology class. (CBC)High schools in the Halifax Regional School Board have cancelled their attendance-based exam exemptions this year because of the flu outbreak.
The board announced Monday that it was dropping the perk that allowed students with very good attendance records to pick an exam that they didn't have to write at the end of each semester.
"I think the school board was concerned and schools were concerned that sick students would go to school just to keep the exemption," said Gin Yee, a member of the board.
"That's a health concern that needs to be addressed."
A Grade 12 student at Prince Andrew High School — one of 13 in the board that had exemption programs — said some of her classmates cried when they got the news.
"Frustrated, worried, very scared," said Sara Hamilton. "There's no way around it, I either pass or fail and have to apply again next year."
She said she's been going to her biology classes and doing her assignments, but being forced to take the exam may affect her ability to get into university.
"I will most likely fail and may lose my spot at the university that I've already been accepted to," Hamilton said.
High absentee rates
Meanwhile, almost one-third of the 430 schools across the province have reported absentee rates of 10 per cent or higher:
- Halifax Regional School Board: 65.
- Chignecto-Central Regional School Board: 42.
- Annapolis Valley Regional School Board: 19
- South Shore Regional School Board: 6.
- Strait Regional School Board: 5.
- Conseil scolaire acadien provincial: 1.
No schools in the Tri-County Regional School Board or the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board have reported elevated student absentee rates.
Doug Hadley, a spokesman with the Halifax Regional School Board, said some of the first schools that reported high absenteeism are no longer in the category.
For example, Astral Drive Junior High School, which had an absentee rate of close to 30 per cent at its peak, was at seven per cent on Monday, he said.
