Que. ministry exams will be 50 per cent of students' grades again

Quebec's education minister had a message for high school students Tuesday – he’s telling them to be well-prepared for their ministry exams this year, as they’ll once again account for half of their grades.

It’s a return to pre-pandemic weighting for the standardized exams. To make up for virus-related stresses and unpredictable school closures, ministry tests were made to only account for 20 per cent of students’ grades.

At the time, students also only received two report cards, instead of three, and teachers were afforded three extra days in the school calendar to plan and train.

But, with the virus largely at bay, those changes to testing are about to end.

Education Minister Bernard Drainville made the announcement during the opening of a new school in Saint-Lucien, Que., near Drummondville.

He also said about 80 per cent of vacant teaching positions have been filled, in part due to increased recruiting incentives.

“Last year, there were close to 3,000 retired teachers who came back to lend us a hand,” he told reporters.

However, schools across the province are still missing more than 300 full-time and nearly 1,500 part-time teachers.

Drainville said the ministry is holding course on its plan to rehire retired teachers and extend qualifications requirements to include university graduates without teaching certificates.

“The financial incentives are very interesting. Those (put in place) last year have been renewed,” he said.

“So, if you want to come back and help us, you’re going to make a difference.”

He said he hopes graduates with bachelor's degrees in subjects other than teaching will be inspired to get their education licenses.