Students entering Grade 9 in 2024 will have a new graduation requirement.
All students will be required to take a technology credit in Grade 9 or 10 as part of their Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
Minister of Education Stephen Lecce announced the government is making the change to prepare more students for jobs in the skilled trades.
"Opening up their doors early, Grade 9 and 10, creates pathways they probably didn't even imagine was possible, and I think it's only going to help make Ontario students, our graduating classes, give them the competitive advantage we want them to have in our economy," said Lecce.
There will be many tech-based course options available to students.
"That could be for construction tech, to emerging technology, it could be a course in robotics or adolescent health care. We are giving a wide variety of course options in 9 or 10," said Lecce. "We're doing that so that we're not crowding out the electives and prerequisites in Grades 11 and 12, which may be required for students to pursue higher learning."
No other graduation requirements will be adjusted to accommodate the new one.
Lecce indicated more tech-based teachers will need to be hired to fulfil the course requirement. He says the government has a plan to attract those teachers that includes attracting more people with industry experience.
