The Ministry of Education will require secondary students to earn two eLearning credits as part of the requirements to graduate with an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), beginning with students who entered Grade 9 in the 2020-2021 school year.
The Online Learning Graduation Requirement as outlined in Policy/Program Memorandum 167 is intended to support students in developing familiarity with learning in an online environment, as well as developing digital literacy and other important transferable skills that they will need for success in their selected post-secondary pathway. The eLearning courses will be conducted entirely online by a certified Ontario educator. Taking an eLearning course/credit allows students to access courses that may not be available at their home school and provides students with the opportunity to gain valuable life-long learning skills.
2022-2023 Online Learning Graduation Requirements for Grade 9-12 Students
- Entering Grade 9 and Grade 10 in September 2022: students are required to earn two eLearning credits prior to graduating.
- Entering Grade 11 in September 2022: students are required to earn one eLearning credit prior to graduating. Note: Remote learning during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic (Spring 2021) has already provided the second required course/credit.
- Entering Grade 12 in September 2022: there is no mandatory eLearning requirement for graduation.
Opt-Out Form
Parents and guardians may choose to opt-out of the eLearning credits required for graduation. If you wish to explore this option, please review the information on this webpage regarding the Online Learning Graduation requirement.
If you would like to opt-out of the Online Learning Graduation Requirement, please click here to download and complete the Opt-Out Form. Please submit completed forms to your Secondary School Guidance department. Upon receipt, the opt-out form will be filed in the student’s Ontario Student Record.
Students may opt back into the Online Learning Graduation Requirement should their decision change at any time prior to graduating.
If you have questions about the Online Learning Graduation Requirement and/or the Opt-Out Form, please contact your secondary school's Guidance department.
Online Learning Graduation Requirement Frequently Asked Questions
Online learning courses/credits, also known as “eLearning” courses or credits, are Grade 9 to 12 credit courses that are delivered entirely using the internet and do not require students to be physically present with one another or with their educator in the school. Learning in online courses takes place asynchronously, meaning the students and teachers do not need to be online at the same time.
The course is teacher led, which means the teacher provides instruction, ongoing feedback, assessment, evaluation, and reporting as needed, including implementing any accommodations and/or modifications identified in the student’s Individual Education Plan. Students from the same online class may follow different timetables and be from different schools or school boards.
Ineligible credits
Credits that shall not count towards the online learning graduation requirement include those earned through:
- in-class learning
- blended learning and flipped classrooms (where students are in class or face-to-face with their teacher most of the time)
- remote learning (where students are online at the same time using a video conferencing platform)
Online learning credits can be earned any time while you are in high school. Grade 8 students also have an opportunity to reach ahead and earn an online credit the summer before they begin Grade 9. If you have already taken an online (eLearning) credit in day school or summer school, then this credit will count toward your requirement.
There are no academic penalties for opting out of the online learning requirement.
If the graduation requirement does not apply, for example due to an opt-out, this will also be indicated on both the Ontario Student Transcript and report card. This will be recorded on the transcript as “Online Learning Graduation Requirement - Non-Applicable”.
Progress towards the completion of this requirement will be communicated to parents and guardians each school year. This may be communicated, for example, through the student’s report card. Schools will also be required to report the progress or opt-out data to the Ministry of Education.
Students working towards other certificates (for example, the certificate of accomplishment or an Ontario Secondary School certificate) are not required to complete the online learning graduation requirement.