Date of Issue: April 28, 1993

Effective: Until revoked or modified

Subject: Religious education programs offered in inspected private secondary schools

Application: Directors of Education
Principals of Public Secondary Schools
Principals of Roman Catholic Secondary Schools
Principals of Inspected Private Secondary Schools

Beginning in September 1993, inspected private secondary schools may offer programs in religious education in Grades 9 and 10 that can be applied towards an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).

Since there are no ministry curriculum guidelines for such programs, a private school must submit a detailed description of its proposed program to the appropriate regional office of the Ministry of Education and Training for approval. To be approved, the program must meet the requirements outlined in section 6.9 of Ontario Schools, Intermediate and Senior Divisions (Grades 7-12/OACs): Program and Diploma Requirements, 1989 (OSIS).

Where a religious education program has received approval, the following conditions apply to it:

  1. although the Grade 9 program is not to be organized into credit-bearing courses beginning in September 1993, principals of inspected private secondary schools may include consideration of religious education programs when determining the equivalent credit value of the Grade 9 program (see sections 1.4 and 1.5 of Transition Years, Grades 7, 8, and 9: Policies and Program Requirements, 1992). A student may earn no more than the equivalent credit value of one credit in religious education as part of the Grade 9 program
  2. a student may earn no more than one credit in religious education in Grade 10

Inspected private secondary schools that are offering non-credit courses in religious education in Grade 9, in Grade 10, or in both grades in the 1992-93 school year may be given retroactive approval of these courses as non-guideline credit courses for 1992-93. To be approved, these courses must meet the requirements stated in section 6.9 of OSIS. If approved, such courses may be assigned a maximum of one credit towards an OSSD in each of Grades 9 and 10 for the 1992-93 school year only. If a private school wishes to seek approval of such courses, it must submit a detailed description of them to the appropriate regional office of the Ministry of Education and Training by May 30, 1993.

None of the above conditions applies to the World Religions courses provided for in the curriculum guideline History and Contemporary Studies, Part C: Senior Division, Grades 11 and 12, 1987. Courses developed from this guideline do not require approval as non-guideline courses.

Further information is available from any of the regional offices of the Ministry of Education and Training, which are listed below:

Central Ontario Region
2025 Sheppard Avenue East
Suite 3201
North York, Ontario
M2J 1W4

Eastern Ontario Region
1580 Merivale Road
4th Floor
Nepean, Ontario
K2G 4B5

Midnorthern Ontario Region
199 Larch Street
7th Floor
Sudbury, Ontario
P3E 5P9

Northeastern Ontario Region
447 McKeown Avenue
P.O. Box 3020
North Bay, Ontario
P1B 8K7

Northwestern Ontario Region
435 James Street South
P.O. Box 5000
Thunder Bay, Ontario
P7C 5G6

Western Ontario Region
759 Hyde Park Road
London, Ontario
N6H 3S6