Ontario Secondary School Diploma

An Ontario Grade 12 student needs an Ontario Secondary School Diploma to graduate from high school. When one enters Grade 9, the credit system takes effect until one finishes Grade 12. To obtain an Ontario Secondary School Diploma, one must earn the following compulsory credits:

• 4 credits in English (from Grade 9 - 12),
• 3 credits in Mathematics (from Grade 9 - 11),
• 2 credits in Science (one in Grade 9 and one in Grade 10),
• 1 Grade 10 credit in Canadian History,
• 1 Grade 9 credit in Canadian Geography,
• 1 credit in the arts,
• 1 Grade 9 credit in health and physical education,
• 1 Grade 9 credit in French as a secondary langugage,
• 0.5 Grade 10 credit in career studies, and
• 0.5 Grade 10 credit in civics

The two latter credits are often grouped together in a course, although if a student were to pass one, and fail the other, he or she would only need to retake the failed section of the course.

One must also earn the following compulsory credits:

• 1 additional credit in English, or a third language, or social sciences and the humanities, or Canadian and world studies, or guidance and career education, or cooperative education
• 1 additional credit in health and physical education, or the arts, or business studies, or cooperative education,
• 1 additional credit in science, or technological education, or cooperative education, and
• 12 additional, elective credits

Up to two credits in cooperative education may be counted to as compulsory credits. Other than credits, one must conduct 40 hours of community service and pass the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test. One can start community service at the start of Grade 9 until the end of Grade 12, summer break and weekends included. If one unsuccessfully writes the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test, he or she must write the test the following school year, or complete the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OLC 40) in grade 12.

In Grade 9 and 10 (Year 1 and 2, respectively), one must complete 16 credits in total, 8 each year. In Grade 11 and 12 (Year 3 and 4, respectively), one must complete the 14 remaining credits. In total, 30 credits must be achieved. One can stay in high school until the age of 21 years old to complete all credits. In all, each credit is 110 hours long from the beginning of the course to the end.

References

1. What do you need to graduate? ISBN 1-4249-0089-1

2. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/brochure/stepup/high.html