With new career guidance and financial literacy programs, the province is updating the requirements for students to graduate high school in Ontario.
Among the new reforms to the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) are a new financial literacy requirement to ensure high school grads have both practical and literal financial skills, a revitalized guidance and career education to help support students’ understanding of local labour market needs, and an exit survey for students when they leave school.
One of the graduation requirements will be a financial literacy assessment to ensure students have the skills and knowledge to create and manage a household budget, learn to invest wisely, and protect themselves from financial fraud.
The province is also putting more focus on teachers, ensuring all applicants to the Ontario College of Teachers pass a new math proficiency test, starting in February, 2025.
The last major overhaul of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma was in 1999 with the removal of OAC (Grade 13) and introduction of community involvement hours.
Officials with the Ministry of Education say it is also launching consultations with parents, job creators, educators, and stakeholders this fall to see what practical life skills students should be learning in school, such as nutritious cooking, sewing a button, or changing a tire, with the potential return of home economics classes.