This depends on several factors:
YOUR HIGH SCHOOL CREDITS
If you don't know how many credits you have, just contact the last school you
attended and request a transcript. Schools must keep records for 55 years.
If you attended a District School Board of Niagara Secondary School and you
have been out of school for: five or more years, contact Alice Ford in the
records department at the D.S.B.N. by calling (905) 641-1550.
Less than 5 years, contact the guidance department of your previous
school.
SECONDARY SCHOOL START DATE, LENGTH OF TIME OUT OF SCHOOL AND YOUR
EXPERIENCE
If you started Secondary School before 1999 and if you are 18 or
older when you return to school and you have been out of school for
at least
one year, you may be eligible for Maturity Allowance credits. These
are awarded in recognition of learning which has taken place on the
basis
of your experience. Normally 2 Maturity Allowance credits are awarded
for each year you have been out of school to a maximum of 12 credits.
Please remember that you can only be granted Maturity Allowance credits
to bring your total to the maximum of 26 credits. Maturity credits
will be awarded upon the successful completion of 4 senior(grade11&12)credits.
If you started Secondary School in 1999 or later, or you are a mature
student new to the Ontario system, and you return to secondary school
on Feb. 1st, 2004 or later , the number of credits, including compulsory
credits, that you will need to achieve to earn a high school diploma
will be determined by the school principal according to the P.L.A.R.
Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition policy. Up to 16 grade 9
and 10 credits may be granted to a mature student following individual
assessment. Mature students may earn 10 of the 14 remaining grade 11
and 12 credits needed to meet diploma requirements in 3 ways:
- they may demonstrate achievement of the required secondary school
curriculum expectations and receive credit through the challenge process;
- they may present education/training credentials for assessment through
the equivalency process ;or
- they may take the course.
Mature students will earn a minimum of 4 grade 11 and 12 credits by
taking the course at a secondary school, through correspondence or through
any of the alternative ways described below. Mature students who have
previously accumulated 26 or more credits ( or 23 or more credits if
the secondary school start date is before 1984) are not eligible for
any equivalent credits. They must successfully complete the required
number of credits to bring their total to 30 before they will be eligible
to receive their Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
Mature students working towards their diploma will also need to satisfy
the diploma requirements with regards to provincial literacy test and
community service hours. Principals will determine the number of hours
of community service that a student will have to complete.
