Not unexpectedly, the Greater Essex County District School Board has announced its students will not take part in EQAO testing next week.
Earlier this week, Education Minister Stephen Lecce said his government was leaving it up to individual school boards to decide whether to host testing in light of job actions by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation and the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario.
"Teachers are not participating in any EQAO preparation, testing, or making assessments," read a statement from the school board. "This makes it very challenging for the GECDSB to administer the semester 1 Grade 9 Math assessment."
The testing was to start on Monday.
"We will await direction from the Ministry of Education on a possible make-up assessment for those students taking math during the first semester," continued the public board's statement to the media. "This, however, would prove to be a significant challenge to staff and Grade 9 students who are not studying math during the second semester."
Lecce did say on Wednesday if the students did not take the test in January, they would have to in June.
On Thursday, the union that represents public elementary school teachers said it was stepping up its work-to-rule campaign and would begin a series of rotating strikes to pressure the government at the bargaining table.
Public schools in Windsor-Essex were shut down Wednesday in the latest of a series of one-day strikes by the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation. It represents public high school teachers and educational support staff in elementary schools.
