Hour 1 of Ottawa Now for Thurs. September 25th, 2025

Grade this opinion on a scale of 1 to 10: Today’s school grades are becoming an old-school practice. Perhaps you might not agree, but an Associate Professor at Trent University is taking this stance fairly vocally. Denise Handlarki, who works at the institution’s School of Education, argues that grades can kill student motivation, and that mastery of one’s craft can be encouraged and achieved if grades are removed. She joins Kristy Cameron in Hour 1. Meantime, if you’re growing tired of the textbooks already, perhaps a trip with Mother Nature is just what the doctor ordered. David Legros, a naturalist at Algonquin Park, paints a picture of the Autumn colours that are starting to pop up all around the park. But first, we bring you up to speed on today’s top headlines.