Ontario Students Now Graded on… Actually Showing Up 😳

In a shocking twist no one saw coming (except literally every parent ever), Ontario is officially making attendance count toward grades.

Yes. Showing up is now part of the assignment. We’ve come full circle.

Wait… This Wasn’t Already a Thing?

Under new changes announced by Paul Calandra, high school students will have:

• 15% of their final grade tied to attendance and participation in Grades 9 and 10
• 10% in Grades 11 and 12

Parents Everywhere: “I’VE BEEN SAYING THIS”

Honestly, moms across Ontario are reading this like: “Oh good, the government is finally backing me up.”

Because nothing hits quite like yelling: “You can’t pass if you’re not even THERE!”
…only to have your kid respond like it’s a TED Talk they didn’t sign up for.

Exams Are Back to Being Stressful Again 📚

Also making a comeback? Mandatory written exams on actual exam days.

So no more:

• “I’ll just submit something online later”
• “Do I really have to be there?”
• “My Chromebook died, so I guess I graduate anyway?”

Nope. Pencil, paper, anxiety. Just like we had it. Character building, apparently.

RELATED: Things I Heard From My Teenagers During the First Week of School 🎒🙃

Why The Change?

The province says attendance has been dropping, and teachers are dealing with more classroom chaos as a result.

Which makes sense… it’s hard to teach when half the class is missing and the other half is mentally at Starbucks.

Another change? The government wants schools to stick to approved learning materials and lesson plans.

So basically:

• Less freestyle teaching
• More structure
• And probably fewer moments where your kid says, “We just watched a movie all period”

(We all know that was happening.)

Bottom Line

Ontario students are now being graded on something radical: Showing up, paying attention, and writing exams.