Ontario High School Diploma: Several school boards across Ontario have dedicated programs for adults who wish to earn their High School Diploma or Equivalent Certificates.
A high school diploma is essential since it can help you land a job or be admitted to an educational or training program. You can take up classes at your local school boards, study from home, take an equivalency test or GED, and study in the evening if you wish to attain a high school diploma as an adult.
A few school boards offer high school classes for adults during the day, night, or summer. Mainly, you may have to pay or buy a deposit for your textbooks or pay a fee for the course. Some programs even accept temporary residents, such as foreign students and workers, but the fees are generally higher.
You should be able to take up the distance courses if you need or wish to study at home. These are mainly the online courses, and a few local school boards offer distance courses. The Ministry of Education and Skills Development lists institutions with distance courses, and May even has the high school credit courses.
How can I still get a diploma?
Most of the communities across Ontario offer adult education classes through your community colleges or local school district, allowing you to make up for the credits required for graduating. The adult ed programs are mainly open to students 18 years or older as they are free to the residents.
You can still be eligible if you are younger than 18 years. You can take up the classes if you are taking care of your child or are pregnant, have a written agreement with your school district allowing you to take the adult ed classes instead of the high school classes, or you are an emancipated minor in need for court permission allowing you to be free out of your parental control.
You can check with your guidance counselor, a school district office, or a teacher to find out about the Adult Ed programs near you. Ontario’s adult education website is helpful to you, and then check out the directory for the list of education options.
Additionally, you can ask your high school counselor, teacher, or a principal what your school district is offering their students who cannot graduate by the end of the senior year. Inquire if the district allows its seniors to stay in high school over the summer or for an additional year to complete their courses. You can stay in school till you are 22 years old if you are in special education.
Does a diploma require additional courses?
Ontario High School Diploma: You can take one of the two national tests offered, and they can be the GEDD or High School Equivalency instead of finishing the entire coursework. You will get the equivalent of the diploma if you pass one of these tests offered.
Both tests measure the ability of the high-school level work as they have varied eligibility requirements and have strengths and weaknesses in common.
The High School Equivalency test, administered by the Educational Testing Service, is available to the students who are generally 17 or 18 years old, meeting a few specific eligibility requirements.
There are five subtests included in this exam. Reading, science, social studies, and math are the four of the five subtests consisting of multiple-choice questions. The fifth subtest on the writing includes an essay along with the multiple-choice questions.
Each of the tests costs about $10 to take. The examination is offered on paper or online in Spanish and English. Students with disabilities can require accommodations that allow them to take the test.
Several Adult Ed programs and community colleges are offering classes to help students prepare to pass the General Educational Development Test of the GED. The GED is nationally recognized as an appropriate alternative to a high school diploma and an asset for pursuing a career and education. It consists of reading, math, sciences, and social studies tests, which can be taken up in English and Spanish.
Students can take GED in just a matter of 60 days of their 18th birthday or older. Under specific circumstances, 17-year-olds can also undertake this exam. Special education students can request accommodations such as more time to take the exam by contacting their testing center a month before the test.
Certificate of Accomplishment
Students who leave the school after reaching the age of 18 years without meeting the requirements for the OSSC or OSSD are granted a Certificate of Accomplishment. The certificate is a useful model of recognizing achievements for students planning to continue a specific type of training or find employment.
A student may even return to their school to take the additional credit and non-credit courses and have their OST or the transcript updated. The new certificate will not get awarded, but OSSC or OSSD is granted when the returning student has accomplished the requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions: Ontario High School Diploma
1. How does an adult attains a high school diploma in Ontario?
You have to earn 30 secondary school credits to earn a high school diploma. The English programs are offered in English-language schools, and French programs are offered in French-language schools. You can attain credit courses at home through the Independent Learning Center.
2. Which is equivalent to a high school diploma in Ontario?
GED is known as General Education Development or General Education Diploma. The GED is a test that is internationally recognized. You can earn an Ontario High School Equivalency Certificate if you pass the GED test.
3. How do I get a high school diploma without going to school?
You can take up at least one to two national tests, such as the GED or the High School Equivalency Exam, instead of finishing the coursework. You get the equivalent of a diploma if you pass one of these tests.
4. Can I avail a high school diploma online?
There are about four kinds of online high school diploma programs: public, private, college or university-sponsored, or charter.
5. Is GED similar to OSSD?
People will earn a High School Equivalency Certificate after completing the GED, which can be viewed as equal to OSSD by employers and colleges.
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