Ontario Scholars are high school graduates in the Canadian province of Ontario who attain an average of 80% or greater in their six best Grade 12 courses. [1]
The award is granted by the Ontario Ministry of Education, and consists of a certificate from the Minister of Education that is usually presented to students at their graduation ceremony. The award and its certificate are standardized by the Ministry of Education; however, some schools choose internally to have special recognition of Ontario Scholars above and beyond this. The award is distinct from other academic acknowledgements such as an Honour Roll.
Prior to the elimination of Grade 13 in 2003, qualification was based on Grade 13 courses. From 1984 to 2003, the qualification process used Ontario Academic Credit (OAC) courses. In the 1960s, Ontario Scholars received an award of $400. During the 1970s and 1980s, a $100 monetary award from the Province of Ontario was presented to Ontario Scholars along with their certificate. [2] As of 2009, students are only entitled to a certificate. [1]
The number of Ontario Scholars has steadily increased since the 1960s. During those years, only around 5% of Ontario students were Ontario Scholars, with an average of 80% over seven of their grade 13 courses. By the 1990s, that number had risen to 40%, and currently sits at over 60% of graduates being Ontario Scholars with an 80% average or greater over their best six grade 12 courses. [3] [4] The higher percentage of students becoming an Ontario Scholar has been correlated with higher entrance requirements at universities. [5]
Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree.
A bachelor's degree or baccalaureate is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years. The two most common bachelor's degrees are the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and the Bachelor of Science. In some institutions and educational systems, certain bachelor's degrees can only be taken as graduate or postgraduate educations after a first degree has been completed, although more commonly the successful completion of a bachelor's degree is a prerequisite for further courses such as a master's or a doctorate.
Abitur, often shortened colloquially to Abi, is a qualification granted at the end of secondary education in Germany. It is conferred on students who pass their final exams at the end of ISCED 3, usually after twelve or thirteen years of schooling. In German, the term Abitur has roots in the archaic word Abiturium, which in turn was derived from the Latin abiturus.
The General Certificate of Education (GCE) is a subject-specific family of academic qualifications used in awarding bodies in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Crown dependencies and a few Commonwealth countries. For some time, the Scottish education system has been different from those in the other countries of the United Kingdom.
University of Toronto Schools (UTS) is an independent secondary day school affiliated with the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The school follows a specialized academic curriculum, and admission is determined by competitive examination. UTS is associated with two Nobel Prize laureates.
Education in Canada is for the most part provided publicly, and is funded and overseen by provincial, territorial and local governments. Education is within provincial jurisdiction and the curriculum is overseen by the province. Education in Canada is generally divided into primary education, followed by secondary education and post-secondary. Within the provinces under the ministry of education, there are district school boards administering the educational programs.
The Ontario Academic Credit (OAC) (which may also be known as 12b) (French: Cours préuniversitaire de l'Ontario or CPO) was a fifth year of secondary school education that previously existed in the province of Ontario, Canada, designed for students preparing for post-secondary education. The OAC curriculum was codified by the Ontario Ministry of Education in Ontario Schools: Intermediate and Senior (OS:IS) and its revisions. The Ontario education system had a final fifth year of secondary education, known as Grade 13 from 1921 to 1988; grade 13 was replaced by OAC for students starting high school (grade 9) in 1984. OAC continued to act as a fifth year of secondary education until it was phased out in 2003.
Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination.
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading structure for undergraduate degrees or bachelor's degrees and integrated master's degrees in the United Kingdom. The system has been applied in other countries and regions.
A vocational school, trade school, or technical school is a type of educational institution, which, depending on the country, may refer to either secondary or post-secondary education designed to provide vocational education or technical skills required to complete the tasks of a particular and specific job. In the case of secondary education, these schools differ from academic high schools which usually prepare students who aim to pursue tertiary education, rather than enter directly into the workforce. With regard to post-secondary education, vocational schools are traditionally distinguished from four-year colleges by their focus on job-specific training to students who are typically bound for one of the skilled trades, rather than providing academic training for students pursuing careers in a professional discipline. While many schools have largely adhered to this convention, the purely vocational focus of other trade schools began to shift in the 1990s "toward a broader preparation that develops the academic" as well as the technical skills of their students.
Higher National Diploma (HND), part of the Higher Nationals suite of qualifications, is an academic higher education qualification in the United Kingdom and various other countries. They were introduced in England and Wales in 1920 alongside the Ordinary National Diploma and the Higher National Certificate. A qualification of the same title is also offered in Argentina, Brunei, India, Malta, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and some other countries with British ties.
Twelfth grade is the twelfth year of formal or compulsory education. It is typically the final year of secondary school in most parts of the world. Students in twelfth grade are usually 17–18 years old. Some countries have a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all.
Education in South Korea is provided by both public schools and private schools. Both types of schools receive funding from the government, although the amount that the private schools receive is less than the amount of the state schools.
University admission or college admission is the process through which students enter tertiary education at universities and colleges. Systems vary widely from country to country, and sometimes from institution to institution.
A course credit is a measure of the size of an educational course, often used to determine whether the requirements for an award have been met, to facilitate transfer between institutions, or to enhance intercomparability of qualifications. Credit may be input-based – defined by the quantity of instruction given – or outcome-based – defined by the learning outcomes and a notional time to achieve those outcomes.
Apolytirio or phased out Apolytirion is the official senior secondary education school completion certificate in Greece obtained after successfully completing the third grade of lyceum. It is graded on a 20-point scale. Specific conditions and rules apply to the separate types of lyceum for the Pan-hellenic examinations which are in terms of the same or relevant Pan-hellenic examinations subjects of study as the General Lyceum type, such as the Vocational Lyceum (EPAL) having its own four subjects for the Pan-hellenic examinations. Every type of school follows a different curriculum.
Grade inflation is the awarding of higher grades than students deserve, which yields a higher average grade given to students.
The A-level is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational authorities of British Crown dependencies to students completing secondary or pre-university education. They were introduced in England and Wales in 1951 to replace the Higher School Certificate. The A-level permits students to have potential access to university if their grades are of satisfactory quality.
The General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level, or A Level, is a main school leaving qualification in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It is available as an alternative qualification in other countries.
A high school diploma is a diploma awarded upon graduation of high school. A high school diploma is awarded after completion of courses of studies lasting four years, typically from grade 9 to grade 12. It is the school leaving qualification in the United States and Canada.
Before we condemn the teachers for lowering the standards, however, we have to keep in mind the current context. Students want to go on to higher education, and especially to university. From the 1950s until well into the 1970s, it was possible to get into many Canadian universities with only a middle "C" average, i.e., in modern terms, about 65 per cent. This, however, has not been the case for some time. Universities have been steadily increasing their entrance standards, and the average grade required for university admission in Canada these days hovers between 80 and 84, depending upon the university and program.