The Ontario government announced on Monday that they will be “modernizing” some school courses starting in 2023 to get students ready and better prepared for the future.
In September 2023, a new Computer Studies curriculum will be introduced and implemented for students in Grade 10. And in September 2024, a new Technological Education curriculum will be offered to students in grades 9 and 10.
The new curricula are part of the government’s plan “to align curriculum changes with the province’s economic needs and place an emphasis on critical life and job skills, needed in the fast-growing skilled trades,” they stated in a press release.
“We want young people to understand about the role of technology in the disruptions in the economy, and helping them actually be better practitioners in the space,” Stephen Lecce, the Minister of Education, said in a press conference on Monday.
The last time the Grade 10 Introduction to Computer Studies course was updated was in 2008, and the Technological Education curriculum was last updated in 2009.
One of the reasons they are being updated now is “to ensure our students have the most up-to-date curriculum that strengthens life and job skills leading to rewarding careers in technology and innovation, including in the skilled trades,” Lecce said in a press release.
The government stated that in the second quarter of 2022, there were 17,865 job vacancies in the computer and information systems field in Ontario. In other words, they believe there is a demand for STEM-based jobs and want students to be able to fill those spots.
“Many employers, including in some of the most and are more advanced areas of the economy, are saying we need young people to graduate with those types of job skills,” Lecce said in a press conference.
“Every year, more than 65,000 students graduate from STEM related programs. By modernizing STEM and skilled trade-related courses, we’re ensuring our talent pool continues to grow and that Ontario businesses continue to innovate and thrive,” Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, said in a statement.
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