The province is implementing changes to high school graduation requirements starting next fall to provide students with more choice and flexibility in their education.

The changes will affect students entering grade 10 in September of 2024.

One change will see a new credit requirement at the high school level for a course that focuses on financial literacy.

"I think it's a good idea," said Ryan Boughen, Director of Education for Prairie South School Division (PSSD). "The province struck something that's called a Curriculum Advisory Committee and that advisory committee actually started coming together in 2020 and it was sort of a kind of post-COVID thing. The feedback that they were getting from the sector was that this is an important course for students who graduate from high school."

Another change will see a reduction in required credits for English language arts (ELA) from five to three, with one requirement at each of the grades 10, 11 and 12 levels. This will bring Saskatchewan into alignment with other provinces, including British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario, which all require three ELA credits to graduate. 

"The feedback was pretty consistent that we're the only province requiring students to take five English classes and it's a lot," continued Boughen. "We don't have the same requirements for math, science, social sciences, things like that. If we reduce that and align ourselves with other provinces we could potentially give students more opportunities for electives or other things."

Required credits for social sciences will change from three to two bringing Saskatchewan into alignment with other jurisdictions. British Columbia and Manitoba each require two credits, while Ontario requires 1.5 credits.

"One of the primary goals is to create more choice for students," added Boughen. "It certainly does give for more flexibility for students. When you reduce those courses but then you add the financial literacy, you've added a course but you do still have more freedom for students to make choice."

The number of total credits required to graduate will remain at 24.

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