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Ontario Curriculum Expectations

Like all school boards in Ontario, our Catholic school curriculum expectations are defined by the Ontario Ministry of Education. Curriculum expectations are set by grade or subject/course.

View elementary Ontario curriculum expectations for:

Ontario Secondary School Curriculum

The Ontario Ministry of Education determines our Catholic secondary school curriculum expectations by grade or subject/course. You can view Ontario curriculum expectations for grades 9 to 12 by visiting the Ontario Ministry of Education.

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)

The following are the requirements for obtaining an Ontario Secondary School Diploma:
What do you need to graduate?

  • 18 compulsory credits
    • Students must earn the following compulsory credits to obtain the Ontario Secondary School Diploma
      • 4 credits in English (1 credit per grade)*
      • 3 credits in mathematics (1 credit in Grade 11 or 12)
      • 2 credits in science
      • 1 credit in Canadian history
      • 1 credit in Canadian geography
      • 1 credit in the arts
      • 1 credit in health and physical education
      • 1 credit in French as a second language
      • 0.5 credit in career studies
      • 0.5 credit in civics
  • Plus one credit from each of the following groups:
Group 1 Group 2 Group 3
English or French as a second language** health and physical education science (Grade 11 or 12)
a Native language the arts technological education
a classical or an international language business studies French as a second language**
social sciences and the humanities French as a second language** computer studies
guidance and career education
cooperative education***

In addition to the compulsory credits, students must complete:

  • 12 optional credits†
  • 40 hours of community involvement activities
  • the provincial literacy requirement

*A maximum of 3 credits in English as a second language (ESL) or English literacy development (ELD) may be counted towards the 4 compulsory credits in English, but the fourth must be a credit earned for a Grade 12 compulsory English course.

**In groups 1, 2, and 3, a maximum of 2 credits in French as a second language can count as compulsory credits, one from group 1 and one from either group 2 or group 3.

***A maximum of 2 credits in cooperative education can count as compulsory credits.

†The 12 optional credits may include up to 4 credits earned through approved dual credit courses.