March 12^th, 2021

The Ministry has introduced flexibility in meeting the community involvement hour requirements, along with reducing the total number of hours required for students graduating in the 2020-21 school year. With these changes in place, schools are encouraged to work with students to ensure all graduating students are able to meet the minimum of 20 hours required to graduate this school year.

The temporary changes include reducing the number of hours required for students graduating in the 2020-21 school year to a minimum of 20 hours of community involvement activities, as well as waiving a number of policy restrictions, as follows, at the principal’s discretion:

1. Schools may allow students to earn hours during the time allotted for the instructional program on a school day;
2. Schools may allow students to earn hours through duties normally performed in the home; and
3. Schools may allow students aged 14 years and older to count up to a maximum of 10 hours from paid employment towards their earned hours. Students counting paid employment towards their graduation requirement will be required to complete a reflection exercise indicating how their work contributed to the service for others.