Graduating seniors compete for admission to Ontario universities
How the graduates' performance has changed and what that means for them.
High school graduates in Ontario are frustrated: getting into their dream university is in jeopardy. Since 2021, the average high school graduation certificate score has gone up by 6 points. That's a lot: It used to take 13 years for a similar increase. Now that all graduates have high scores, it is very difficult to get into the university you want.
Even those whose average score is 96-97 out of 100 are getting rejected. Those with more modest scores should not even hope to succeed. We are talking about the best universities: the University of Toronto, McMaster University, etc. Graduates still have a chance to go to other universities, which are not much inferior to the more popular institutions. But this is a great upset for current graduates and a significant problem for Canada's entire education system.
The sadness of the applicants is understandable: they spent a long time preparing to enter the university of their dreams, studying well and doing volunteer work. Some spent money on classes with tutors. Many had to not only provide a high school diploma, but also write an essay with an autobiography, as well as enclose letters of recommendation. And now, after all these challenges, they find out that they weren't enough. It's not that they didn't try hard enough: it's just that others scored even higher.
Teachers and experts are sounding the alarm. They believe Canada now needs a more objective way to select applicants. The overall score on a high school diploma no longer reflects a student's abilities and knowledge. And inflated grades give children a false sense of preparedness. They go to college and realize they can't cope with the program, despite their excellent grades at school. The chairs of admissions commissions at universities point out that the same grades can mean different things, depending on the school and the teacher. Some give high marks for effort, even if the child lacks knowledge. Another teacher may judge students too harshly and not give the highest grade even for the best academic results. Now it is very hard to choose a candidate for an in-demand program.
Some experts believe that this increase in scores is a consequence of distance learning during the coronavirus pandemic. Students did not become better learners, but teachers found it harder to grade them and inflated their grades. In addition, test scores began to be valued less than class work. During distance tests, it was not as hard to cheat, while knowledge of the subject during oral answers in class would be impossible to fake.
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