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The B.C. government is continuing with its plan to have students write standardized tests this month, raising questions about how to balance the stress on children while also trying to assess the learning gaps caused by a disrupted year.
The province administers the annual test (called the Foundation Skills Assessment), which measures reading comprehension, writing and numeracy, to students in Grades 4 and 7. The teachers’ union is urging parents to withdraw their children from writing the test, which began last week.
Reopening schools for in-person learning in parts of Canada where COVID-19 cases are on the rise would be like “adding fuel to the fire,” says a Toronto-based infectious disease expert.