In Cambridge Bay, departmental exams go on despite snow day

Students at Kiilinik High School wrote their exams Jan. 11 after a storm that left much of the community closed prior to noon hour. (FILE PHOTO)

Cambridge Bay students learned last week that snow days don’t count when it comes to territorial exams.

Students at Kiilinik High School were scheduled to write their English exams on Jan. 11, but when a storm blew up that morning, many Cambridge Bay residents weren’t sure if the tests would go on.

But a spokesperson for the Department of Education told Nunatsiaq News that school was never officially closed by the Cambridge Bay District Education Authority.

“Confusion stemmed from the fact that the hamlet and GN offices closed,” the spokesperson said. “Weather conditions improved quickly and by 11 a.m. the various organizations were announcing that operations would resume after lunch.”

Confusion also arose when one teacher incorrectly stated on Facebook that school was cancelled for the morning and that exams had been postponed until noon.

In the end, exams took place that afternoon.

Besides the hamlet and the Government of Nunavut offices, the community daycare society, Polar Knowledge Canada, Service Canada, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and the Kitikmeot Inuit Association were also closed.

Another post on Facebook said the school bus used by elementary students was off the road, due to bad weather.

But the Department of Education said that, should students miss their territorial exams, there would be no way to rewrite the tests for many months, poor weather aside.

“There are strict protocols in place in relation to territorial (departmental) exams due to the fact that they are Alberta’s exams and all students sit these exams on the same day,” the Government of Nunavut said.

“If a student or group of students are unable to sit their exams their situation can be reviewed by the department. Options include sitting the exam at the next availability (these occur in January, April, June and November) or seeking an exemption from the exam.”

Amidst the exam-or-no-exam confusion, residents were posting on Facebook to say that students were receiving calls from the school to come in for their scheduled writing date.

Later, residents thanked teachers in the community for driving around to pick students up so they didn’t miss their exams.

With the weather being it was, and so many offices in the community clearly closed, one community member who alerted Nunatsiaq News to the mix up questioned whether such an act was safe, or insurable.

In response, the GN said: “The department does not encourage school employees to be driving students to/from school, but is not aware of specific circumstances in this instance.”

Still, residents who posted on social media were glad that students were not missing their exams, and sent best wishes to all the English exam writers.

Some Facebook exchanges about the exam delay and potential school cancellation have since been removed.