Olivier Boulerice’s family says he’s a hard-working student, and after years of dedication in high school, his ministry exams went well.
Now, however, he may have to repeat a class because of what some call the Quebec Education Ministry’s controversial grading system.
“He did his job as a student to pass his year, pass his exams, and he still failed,” said Olivier’s father Philippe Boulerice. “So he’s very angry.”
Olivier is on the autism spectrum. He passed his science and technology exam with a 62 per cent.
His final mark, however, was 59 per cent.
That’s because of the ministry’s grade moderation system: the higher the class average, the lower the marks of students who score below it.
This grading practice has been applied in Quebec since 1974.
“They have to review that moderation process, it’s unfair to some students,” said his father. “It’s unfair to the students, their parents, children, everybody.”
Olivier is in a special class with nearly 10 students at Jean-Baptise-Meilleur school in Repentigny.
His family says the ministry has failed him and others in his situation.
The ministry’s website says that while the grading system allows for adjusting marks upwards or downwards, it never results in the failure of a student who would have passed otherwise.
In an email to CTV News, a ministry spokesperson said the process isn’t perfect, but work has begun and is ongoing to see how it can be improved.
Olivier and his parents just hope improvements can be applied to his case.