Confusion over provincial exam requirements has created an uncertain future for a number of prospective high school graduates in the territory, the Star has learned.

Officials with the Department of Education are still working on a resolution to the situation that saw some Grade 12 students opt out of writing provincial exams they understood were not a requirement of the course.

Those students now face an incomplete grade and have no credits, at least on their report card, in certain courses where the exam was required by the Yukon government.

Transcripts - prepared by the B.C. Ministry of Education and issued by the Yukon Department of Education - tell a different story, with students receiving the credits and a final mark for the same courses.

"We have had a few meetings (with parents)," Mike Woods, the territory's superintendent for Area 1, told the Star Thursday afternoon.

Under the B.C. graduation requirements, students must write provincial exams in Grade 10 language arts, science and math, Grade 11 in social studies and civic studies and in Grade 12 B.C. first nation studies and language arts.

"All other Grade 12 exams are optional," reads the B.C. Ministry of Education website.

"In other words, you can take a Grade 12 course that has an optional graduation program exam, and choose not to take the exam. In that case, 100 per cent of your final mark comes from your classroom work. If you choose to write an optional Grade 12 exam, it counts for 40 per cent of the final mark. Your classroom work counts for 60 per cent."

In 2004, Woods explained, B.C. changed its graduation requirements. While the territory traditionally follows B.C. requirements, when a number of the Grade 12 provincial exams became optional in the 2006/2007 school year, the territory decided not to make that change.

"That policy is still holding today," Woods said.

So if a student in the Yukon was taking Biology 12 and there's a provincial exam available for the course, he or she would have to write it. A student in Atlin, however, could choose not to.

As far as Woods is aware, this is the only deviation from the B.C. graduation requirements the territory has made. Curriculum changes have been made in the territory to offer local content from the B.C. curriculum model the territory usually follows.

At the time, the Yukon's Department of Education moved ahead with requiring the exams as most post-secondary institutions still required them for admissions.

The territory also offers the Yukon Excellence Awards, worth $500 to students who achieve 80 per cent or higher on any Grade 12 provincial exam (other amounts are also available as well for students in lower grades achieving 80 per cent or better on certain exams).

The exams were also thought to provide a measure of accountability and a measure of comparison with B.C., Woods said.

Since then, many post-secondary schools have moved away from requiring provincial exams for admission, with the B.C. School Counsellors Association website listing 58 which don't require provincial exams.

Last November, Woods said, the department began a consultation which included looking at whether to change the provincial exam requirements in the territory.

A notice dated Jan. 16 was sent to school principals and councils, stating provincial exams would continue to be a mandatory requirement. Websites for F.H. Collins, Porter Creek and Vanier Catholic Secondary Schools all show exam week was held in the last week of January, a little more than a week after the notice was dated.

"The direction for the 2008-2009 school year has been confirmed. For this school year, all Grade 12 students are required to write the B.C. provincial exams; we are continuing with the mandatory exam requirements as in previous years," reads the one-page document, signed originally by Christie Whitley, the Yukon's assistant deputy minister for Public Schools.

It then goes on to explain the rationale as giving students the opportunity to apply to all post-secondary institutions, the availability of the award and the issue of accountability.

It also points to the consultation happening with school administrators, students, parents, school councils, first nations and others.

"It is imperative that schools, students and parents realize the implications of optional exams; our goal is to ensure that informed decisions will be made before the start of the 2009-2010 school year and that accountability is maintained in our system," it reads.

It then goes on to ask that "this direction to continue with the Grade 12 mandatory exams is communicated to all students and families immediately."

Woods said it's not clear why some students and their families believed some of the exams to be optional. He noted there may have been some confusion arising out of the consultation or from information on the B.C. Ministry of Education website, which outlines the B.C. graduation requirements.

Under the section on graduation requirement on the Yukon government website, it's noted the territory follows the B.C. graduation requirements

"Yukon follows the British Columbia Program of Studies, and subsequently the B.C. requirements for secondary school graduation," the website states.

It then continues into more detail on secondary school graduation, outlining the number of credits students need and so on, though provincial exams are not mentioned on the page.

It also suggests students contact their school counsellor for further information on course options. It then notes the complete listing of courses that meet requirements and electives can be found at the B.C. education website.

It's unknown exactly how many students have been affected by the issue, though Woods said a total of 17 throughout the territory opted not to write the Grade 12 provincial exams in January.

While some may not have written believing it to be an option, others may have decided to put it off to June.

"Any student has the option of writing (provincial exams) in June," Woods said. He confirmed that those who believed they didn't have to write the exams may end up having to do so in June to get a mark in the course for graduation.

Officials, however, are still working on some sort of resolution "in the best interest of the students," along with dealing with the conflicting marks on report cards and transcripts.

"We are aware this has happened," Woods said of the discrepancy in marks between report cards and transcripts.

A spokesman for the B.C. Ministry of Education said this morning the territory's Department of Education can use its power to issue diplomas and has the jurisdiction to require provincial exams.

However, the contract with the B.C. ministry allows for access to the B.C. computer system, which prepares the transcripts, but treats all students in the system as though they are in B.C. and under the provincial graduation requirements.

"That's what goes on their final transcript," he said.

Post-secondary schools typically seek official transcripts for admission.

Consultations over the exams are set to continue as Yukon department officials work on coming up with a resolution to the matter.

Kerry Huff, Porter Creek Secondary School's principal, declined to comment on the situation this morning as it's now in the department's hands.

The principals of F.H. Collins and Vanier Catholic Secondary Schools could not be reached for comment.