The heat wave expected during the week across Quebec risks bothering many students who will spend long hours locked in non-air-conditioned premises during the exam period.
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While in primary schools the ministerial exams have been completed, history, science and mathematics exams must still take place in secondary schools.
“It’s going to be a big week and these are not easy conditions,” explains teacher Sylvain Duclos, in an interview with LCN. Concentration is difficult, but imagine in a closed room, no air conditioning, very often no windows […] to do a three-hour exam or we can’t go out.”
“It will also influence their motivation to show up for recovery periods, for example in the afternoon,” he adds. I’m not sure if in secondary schools it’s going to be very attractive at 42 humidex.”
The teacher believes that the young people’s academic results will be affected by the temperature.
“I am certain that we will see an influence on student results,” he said. They will not come to revise at school […] and concentration, we know, we ourselves have difficulty concentrating even when it’s hot.
“For young people, the three hours are excessively difficult for them and we don’t have winning conditions at all,” he continues.
Very few options are available to teachers to try to help improve the conditions with which students must deal.
“We can see the premises which are perhaps more air-conditioned with higher ceilings, avoid premises with windows, but it is limited what we can do during an exam session to move all the students , explains Mr. Duclos. We’re taking out the Popsicles and the fans, but it won’t work miracles.”
The teacher doubts the relevance of holding exam sessions so late in the year, thus exposing students to more difficult learning conditions.
“I really question the principle of the end-of-year ministerial evaluation like this here in mid-June,” he says. Is it necessary to carry out evaluations of this length and to put young people in these learning contexts?”
Watch the full interview in the video above
