The province has released its graduation rates for 2015 and the District School Board Ontario North East is dead last in its rankings.
The ONE board had a 46.1 per cent four-year graduation rate and 65.5 per cent five-year graduation rate in 2015.
Other boards in the north however, scored closer to the provinces averages of 78 per cent in four-year and 85 per cent in five-year.
Chair of the DSBONE, Doug Shearer says it’s a dated system being used to measure modern problems.
Shearer says not being able to offer the courses needed for students every year is a result of the small numbers in the some of the ONE schools.
He says there’s one school in Hearst with only 25 students in it, which presents incredible challenges for staff and it’s not the only school in the board in that situation.
Shearer says a broad brush approach to measuring the graduation rate isn’t an accurate representation of the board’s efforts.
He says technology and online resources have helped to modernize the board’s delivery of the classes needed for students.
(Written by: Greg Rosser)