POLICY CIRCULAR NO: 95-01

PAGE 1 OF 6

Graduation Requirements

• Students who entered grade 11 or 12 in
1994/95 or earlier will be allowed up to
five years (to June 30,2001) in which to
graduate under the current requirements.

The purposes of this Circular are to:

1.

provide information about student tran­
sition to the new graduation require­
ments;

2.

list provincial courses that meet the
new graduation requirements;

3.

clarify graduation requirements for
applied skills and fine arts;

4.

explain the status of physical educa­
tion in the graduation years; and

5.

• At any time during the following five
years (to June 30, 2001), a student may
choose to graduate under the new
requirements. The student will be
expected to state this choice in writing
to the school principal.

• Students failing to graduate within the
five year time span (to June 30, 2001)
will be required to fulfill the new
graduation requirements.

clarify implementation of time allot­
ments for applied skills and fine arts
in grades 9 and 10.

• The Transcript of Grades will include
information about whether the student
is on the current or the new graduation
requirements.

For your convenience while reading this
circular, the summary of current and new
graduation requirements from The Kindergar­
ten to Grade 12 Education Plan is
duplicated on page 2.

2.

1.

STUDENTTRANSITION

COURSES TH AT MEET THE
NEW GRADUATION
REQUIREMENTS

The following amplifies the guidelines and
information outlined in The Kindergarten to
Grade 12 Education Plan and the Implementa­
tion Resource, Part I: Guidelines for The Kinder­
garten to Grade 12 Education Plan.

The following points elaborate the informa­
tion in the chart on page 3:

• The new graduation requirements will
be in effect beginning with those stu­
dents entering grade 11 in the 1995/96
school year. Students in grades 11 and
12 in 1994/95, and those in grade 12 in
1995/96, will graduate under the cur­
rent requirements.

• Grade 12 courses in the applicable
subject may also satisfy the grade 11
Foundation Studies graduation require­
ments.

• In order to receive course credit in
Foundation Studies, the full course
must be completed.

PAGE 2 OF 6

POLICY CIRCULAR NO: 95-01

Grade 11 and 12:
Summary of Current and New Graduation Requirements
Current Graduation Requirements
To graduate, students must successfully complete at least
13 courses in Grades 11 and 12 including:

New Graduation Requirements (1995)
To graduate, students must earn a minimum of 52 credits
of Foundation Studies (minimum 28 credits) and Selected
Studies (minimum 24 credits).
Foundation Studies

Students must earn a minimum of 28 credits from provin­
cial courses:
• English 11, Communications 11, or Français langue 11

• English 12, Communications 12, or Français langue 12

• English 11, Communications 11, or Français langue 11
[4 credits]
• English 12, Communications 12, or Français langue 12
[4 credits]

• Social Studies 11

• Social Studies 11 [4 credits]

• a mathematics 11 course

• a mathematics 11 course [4 credits]

• a science 11 course

• a science 11 course [4 credits]

• a fine arts 11 [2 credits]

• an applied skills 11 [2 credits]

• Consumer Education 9/10, Business Education 10 or
Consumer Education 12

• Career and Personal Planning 11 [2 credits]
• Career and Personal Planning 12 [2 credits]

Note: Students must earn one credit (30 hours) of work experience

Selected Studies

Students must earn a minimum of 24 credits. Students
select courses of varying credit value to support their
career plans (e.g., apprenticeship, vocational, technical,
university, college, entry to workforce).

• three grade 12 provincial courses (in addition to English
12/Communications 12)
• no more than two locally developed courses toward the
minimum graduation requirements, unless part of career
preparation. Beyond 13 courses, there is no restriction on
the number of locally developed courses a student can
take.

Of the minimum 24 credits:
• 10 credits must be provincial grade 12 level courses
• up to 8 credits can be locally developed courses, unless
part of an approved Career Program. Beyond 24 credits,
there is no restriction on the number of district course
credits a student can take.

Note: One course in the current requirements is equivalent to four credits in the new system

February 1,1995

POLICY CIRCULAR NO: 95-01

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Provincial Courses that Satisfy Requirements
for Foundation Studies (effective September 1995)
Two Language Arts courses
(8 credits) (A)

Social Studies 11

(4 credits)

One mathematics 11 course
(4 credits)

Communications 11
English 11
Français langue 11

Communications 12
English 12
Français langue 12

Social Studies 11
Accounting 11 (B)
Intro. Mathematics 11
Mathematics 11A
Mathematics 11

Agriculture 11
Biology 11
Chemistry 11
Computer Studies 11 (C)

Earth Science 11
Physics 11
Science and Technology 11
Technology 11 (D)

Career and Personal
Planning (4 credits)

Career and Personal
Planning 11 (2 credits)

Career and Personal
Planning 12 (2 credits)

One fine arts 11 course
(2 credits)

Art
Art 11
Visual Art 2D 11
Visual Art 3D 11

Drama
Acting 11
Stagecraft 11

One science 11 course
(4 credits)

Dance
[under development]

One applied skills 11 course
(2 credits)

Fine Arts 11 (2 credits)
[curriculum outcomes available
February, 1995]

Music
Band 11
Choral Music 11
Music Comp. 11
Strings 11

Technology Education
Construction 11
Carpentry 11
Drafting 11
Electronics 11
Mechanics 11
Metal 11
Technology 11 (D)
Welding 11

Home Economics
Clothing & Textiles 11
Cook Training 11
Family Management 11
Foods & Nutrition 11,
Intro. Clothing & Textiles 11
Intro. Foods/Nutrition 11
Textile Arts & Crafts
Tourism 11

Business Education
Accounting 11 (B)
Data Processing 11
Information Management 11
Keyboarding 11
Marketing 11
Speed Writing 11

Physical Education 11

Note: All courses listed in the above table are 4 credits, unless otherwise indicated.

Computer Studies 11 (C)

Applied Skills 11 (2 credits)
[curriculum outcomes
available February, 1995]

PAGE 4 OF 6

POLICY CIRCULAR NO: 95-01

• Approved courses for language arts,
social studies, mathematics and science
outlined on page 3 reflect current
practice.

3. COURSE REQUIREMENTS
FOR APPLIED SKILLS
AND FINE ARTS

• Courses at the grade 11 level which are
available in French will satisfy gradua­
tion requirements.

New graduation requirements state that
students are required to earn two credits in
fine arts 11 and two credits in applied skills
11. Schools may offer a variety of courses to
satisfy this requirement. Information regard­
ing course coding procedures will be issued
by the Examinations Branch.

Records and Transcripts

• Schools are responsible for recording
required credits and for conveying that
information to the Ministry for tran­
script production.

• information regarding course coding
procedures will be issued by the
Examinations Branch.
Notes for table on page 3

(A) All students must take two English
Language Arts courses (English 11 or
Communications 11, and English 12 or
Communications 12), except:
- students in French Immersion who
must take two English Language
Arts courses and Français langue 11
and 12; and

- students in Programme cadre de
Français who must take Français
langue 11 and 12.

(B) Accounting 11 may satisfy the math­
ematics 11 or applied skills 11 require­
ment, but not both.
(C) Computer Studies 11 may satisfy the
science 11 or applied skills 11 require­
ment, but not both.

To satisfy the requirements for fine arts 11
(2 credits) and applied skills 11 (2 credits),
schools must use one of the following three
options:

1. Offer an existing 4-credit provincial
course listed under fine arts 11 and
applied skills 11. Upon successful
completion of the course, 2 credits are
used by students to satisfy Foundation
Studies and 2 credits are used to satisfy
the Selected Studies requirement.

2. Offer the new provincial Fine Arts 11 course
(2 credits) and the new Applied Skills 11
course (2 credits). Draft learning outcomes
will be available February, 1995.
These curriculum guides will also
provide a framework to enable a twocredit course to be structured based on
learning outcomes in existing fine arts
and applied skills (four-credit courses).
For example, schools may take aspects
of the existing Art 11 course and struc­
ture a two-credit Fine Arts 11 course; or
they may draw key elements from
Drafting 11 and Mechanics 11 to create a
two-credit Applied Skills 11 course.

(D) Technology 11 may satisfy the science 11
or applied skills 11 requirement, but not
both.

February 1,1995

PAGE 5 OF 6

When structuring 2-credit courses from
existing 4-credit courses, schools will be
expected to consider the following
criteria which are expanded in the new
curriculum guides.

Fine Arts 11: Two credit courses in fine
arts should address the following: the
study and application of the basic
elements, principles and structures
used in at least one of the fine arts
(Dance, Drama, Music and Visual Arts)
as defined by provincial learning out­
comes; recognition of the effects of
context (historical, social, and cultural)
on one or more of the fine arts, includ­
ing the application to one's own work;
the study and demonstration of the role
of one or more arts in the communica­
tion and expression of human thoughts,
images, and feelings; a balance between
creating, communicating and perform­
ing, and learning about the fine arts.
Applied Skills 11: Two credit courses in
applied skills should address one or
more of the following: using technolo­
gies where appropriate; develop tech­
nology-based problem solving skills
(identifying, designing, testing, produc­
ing, evaluating); develop understand­
ing of human needs such as food,
shelter, clothing and interpersonal
relationships; use applications from
marketing, accounting, or office sys­
tems to solve problems; develop under­
standing of health and well-being and
their impact on lifestyles.

POLICY CIRCULAR NO: 95-01

ments (4 credits combined), provided
that they are structured in such a way
as to ensure that they address the
intents of both the fine arts and applied
skills criteria, as outlined above (option
2):
- Art Careers 12
- Clothing and Textiles 11
- Drafting 11
- Metal 11
- Music Composition 11
- Stagecraft 11
- Textile Arts and Crafts 11
Below are examples of how two of the above
courses could be structured to satisfy the
requirements of both areas:

Stagecraft 11: In addition to the fine arts
aspects of the course, students may generate
detailed computer-based working drawings
for set designs and lighting layouts; con­
struct stage properties that solve some
special effects characteristics; construct
working set models; learn about lighting
and sound control and solve problems
related to operating a sound stage.
Drafting 11: In addition to the applied skills
aspects of the course, students should dem­
onstrate an understanding of the relation­
ship between form and function; design
furniture related to a particular era; study
the careers and influence of specific artisans;
and study the influence of various historical
periods on furniture design.

3. Offer one of the approved 4-credit
Provincial courses that satisfy require­
ments for both fine arts 11 and applied
skills 11.

The following existing 4-credit courses
may be used to satisfy both the fine
arts 11 and applied skills 11 require-

February 1,1995

POLICY CIRCULAR NO: 95-01

PAGE 6 OF 6

4.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

Physical Education 11 may be used to satisfy
the Applied Skills 11 requirement if empha­
sis is placed on: identifying activities serving
the recreational needs of the community and
how such activities contribute to fitness,
nutrition, and health management; develop­
ing leadership skills for conducting activity
programs in the school and community;
gaining a knowledge of career opportunities
in recreation and sports-related businesses;
using technologies when appropriate.

The new Physical Education 11 provincial
curriculum will provide emphasis on ap­
plied skills.

5.

FINE ARTS AND APPLIED
SKILLS IN GRADES 9 AND 10

The Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education Plan
stated that students must be provided with
instruction in both fine arts and applied
skills in each of grades 9 and 10.

This policy is being adjusted to permit more
flexible scheduling. Two options are now
available:
1. schools may elect to provide instruction
in fine arts and applied skills in each of
grades 9 and 10;

2. for grades 9 and 10, schools may elect
to offer fine arts in one grade and
applied skills in the other grade. If this
option is selected, it is expected that the
total instructional time in fine arts and
applied skills will not be less than what
would be offered in option 1.
For all other required areas of study in
grades 9 and 10, it is expected that instruc­
tion will occur in both years.
For further information, please contact:

Jerry Mussio
Director, Education Policy Branch
Ministry of Education
Phone: (604) 387-0077
E-mail: jmussio@cln.etc.bc.ca

February 1,1995