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Ministry of Education

McGuinty Government helping more students graduate

New Law Requires All Students To Continue Learning Until Age 18 Or
    Graduation

    QUEEN'S PARK, Dec. 12  - Ninety thousand more students are expected
to graduate by 2010-11 with the help of a new law that requires them to
continue learning until age 18 or graduation, and provides access to more
high-quality learning opportunities, Education Minister Kathleen Wynne said
today.
    "The passage of legislation today will allow us to offer more programs
that match each student's individual skills, interests and goals," said Wynne.
"This is part of our overall Student Success Strategy to give more students a
promising future - both financially and personally - in a highly competitive
global economy."
    The McGuinty government has set a graduation target of 85 per cent by
2010-11 - a significant increase from 68 per cent in 2003-04. Ontario schools
are on track to meet this target with 71 per cent of students graduating in
2004-05.

    

    Introduced in December 2005, the new law:
    -   Requires that students continue learning until the age of 18 or
        graduation
    -   Broadens the range of high-quality, relevant learning opportunities
        and programs available outside of the classroom and approved by the
        Minister of Education
    -   Allows only principals to issue credits for learning outside of the
        classroom
    -   Allows the government at a future date to permit the courts to
        suspend drivers' licenses for students convicted of truancy. This
        penalty would be one of several available to the courts and will only
        come into force when the government's new learning opportunities are
        available to all students.
    
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    This legislation was developed through consultation with Ontario's
parents, students, teachers, principals and others in the education community.
Their feedback helped the government craft legislation that will make a
significant impact on modernizing publicly funded high schools.
    "We believe that, as amended, the bill would better target struggling
students who need support to supplement their high school studies," said Paul
Taillefer, president, Association des enseignantes et des enseignants
franco-ontariens.
    The Learning to 18 legislation is an important part of Ontario's Student
Success Strategy that is providing high school students with more ways to
accumulate credits to graduate, while improving the quality of a high school
education in the province. Important initiatives underway include:
    

    -   More individual attention and support for students from Student
        Success Teams and Grade 8-9 Transition Teams
    -   More learning choices for students through Specialist High Skill
        Majors, expanded co-operative education, dual credits and Lighthouse
        projects
    -   More than 200 new technological education courses and 500 upgraded
        courses, including hospitality, health care, and computer
        engineering.
    

    "More students earning their high school diploma means fewer adults faced
with a lifetime of economic and social barriers," added Wynne. "Ontario will
continue to prosper because we are working with our education partners to
reach every student."

    Disponible en français
    

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