Relocation services for British Columbia, Canada

School Curriculum

The school system in Canada is split up into Grades, with the subjects being taught changing as the students progress through the school system.

Kindergarten - Grade 3

K-3 students learn and develop in these key areas:

• Thinking and learning
• Language, reading and writing
• Math
• Social responsibility
• Physical development
• Emotional development
• Artistic development

Grades 4 - 7

At this level there are no optional subjects. The areas covered are :

• English Language Arts
• Math
• Social Studies
• Science
• Physical Education
• Personal Planning
• Fine Arts
• Second Language
  French is by far the most commonly taught second
  language. Other second languages approved and supported by the B.C. Ministry of Education include American Sign Language, German, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Punjabi and Spanish.

Grades 8 - 9

Required classes are:

• English Language Arts
• Mathematics
• Social Studies
• Science
• Physical Education
• Career and Personal Planning

Optional courses. These are the electives that children choose from.

• Fine Arts
  One of the following options:
  • Dance
  • Drama
  • Music
  • Visual Arts
• Applied Skills
  Some schools offer an exploratory course in Grade 8, where each of these skills is taken in turn. In Grade 9 the student chooses one of the following options:
  • Technology education
  • Business education
  • Home economics
• Information technology
  The key skills of IT are taught within the other subjects, but IT may be offered as an elective within applied skills.

Grades 10 - 12

These are the final three years of high school. From Grade 10, approximately age 15, credits are earned toward graduation.

REQUIRED COURSES
SUBJECT AREA	Minimum Credits
English 10	4
a Language Arts 11	4
a Language Arts 12	4
Social Studies 10	4
Social Studies 11 or BC First Nations Studies or Civic Studies 11	4
Science 10	4
a Science 11 or 12	4
a Mathematics 10	4
a Mathematics 11 or 12	4
Physical Education 10	4
Planning 10	4
a Fine Arts and/or Applied Skills 10, 11 or 12	4
Total	48 credits
ELECTIVE COURSES
Students must earn at least 28 elective credits for Grade 10-12 courses.	28 credits
GRADUATION PORTFOLIO
Students must earn 4 credits for Graduation Portfolio.	4 credits
OVERALL TOTAL	80 credits
Of the 80 credits for graduation, at least 16 must be at the Grade 12 level, including a Grade 12 Language Arts course. Others may be required or elective courses.

Upon completion of Grade 10, students are encouraged to have completed at least one Fine Arts course and one Applied Skills course level 9 or 10.

Upon completion of Grade 12, students must have a minimum of 2 Fine Art and 2 Applied Skills credits (course level 11 or 12).

All students will complete 2 credits of Career & Personal Planning (CAPP) as part of their regular course work in each of Grades 11 & 12 and must complete 30 hours of volunteer/community Work Experience before graduation.

Four of the 80 credits needed for graduation
will come from the Graduation Portfolio. It’s
a collection of evidence (electronic or paper-based)
that proves that the student has developed more
than just academic skills.