Over the past few years, many changes have been made to the Ontario high school curriculum. For example, several Grade 9 courses have now been de-streamed, in an effort not to pigeon hole students too early into a particular academic stream. Currently English (ENL1W), Math (MTH1W), Science (SNC1W) and Geography (CGC1W) have all been de-streamed, and are no longer divided into Academic or Applied. This allows students the time they need to build skills and work with the material, before making a selection into an academic or applied stream in Grade 10.
This year, there have been some fundamental changes to the graduation requirements for students who are just entering Grade 9. So, while students who entered high school last year will still be working off the original graduation requirements, new students have a different set of criteria they need to meet.
In order to help parents and students navigate these changes, this article breaks down these new and previous requirements.
New Grade 9 Students
Students entering Grade 9 in the 2024 academic year will now need to complete the following compulsory credits:
- 4 credits in English (1 per Grade level)
- 3 credits in mathematics (Grade 9, 10, and 1 in either Grade 11 or 12)
- 2 credits in science
- 1 credit in technological education (Grade 9 or 10)
- 1 credit in Canadian History (Grade 10)
- 1 credit in Canadian Geography (Grade 9)
- 1 credit in the arts
- 1 credit in health and physical education
- 1 credit in French as a second language
- 0.5 credit in Civics and Citizenship
- 0.5 credit in Careers
- 1 credit in a STEM-related course group*
- 13 elective credits
*STEM related course groups encompass the following subjects:
- Business Studies
- Computer Studies
- Cooperative Education
- Mathematics (in addition to the compulsory requirements)
- Science (in addition to the compulsory requirements)
- Technological education (in additional to the compulsory requirements)
Current Grade 10, 11 and 12 Students
Students who are going into Grade 10, 11 or 12 this year, or started grade 9 during the 2023 school year will need to meet the following requirements:
- 4 credits in English (1 per Grade level)
- 3 credits in mathematics (Grade 9, 10, and 1 in either Grade 11 or 12)
- 2 credits in science
- 1 credit in Canadian History (Grade 10)
- 1 credit in Canadian Geography (Grade 9)
- 1 credit in the arts
- 1 credit in health and physical education
- 1 credit in French as a second language
- 0.5 credit in Civics and Citizenship
- 0.5 credit in Careers
- 1 credit in Group 1
- 1 credit in Group 2
- 1 credit in Group 3
- 12 elective credits
Breaking Down Group Credits
Group 1: Any course in either English (outside of the compulsory requirements), Native or international languages, Social Sciences and Humanities, Canadian and World Studies, or Guidance and Career Education.
Group 2: Any course (in addition to the compulsory requirements) in Health and Physical Education, the Arts, or Business Studies.
Group 3: Any course (in addition to the compulsory requirements) in Science (Grade 11 or 12), Technological Education, or Computer Studies.
Alternatively, you can take a maximum of 2 credits in French as a Second Language, or a maximum of 2 credits in Cooperative Education.
Additional Graduation Requirements for All Students
Whether you are just entering Grade 9 or in Grade 10, 11 or 12, in addition to the above courses, you’ll also need the following requirements to graduate with your OSSD.
- 40 hours of Community Service
- Ontario Secondary School Literacy Requirement
- 2 Online Learning Credits
At OVS, we want to ensure that all of our students are well informed about the changes made by the Ministry of Education, so that they can keep updated and on track with their education.