UW Gazette, November 29, 1995 The education ministry's plan to revamp high school education, including the scrapping of Grade 13 by the turn of the century and possible curriculum changes in the new four-year program, may force universities to re-evaluate in coming students' abilities and redesign their programs. "These changes could have potentially serious impacts," says provost and vice-president (academic) Dr. Jim Kalbfleisch. "Future students may not have sufficient backgrounds, and that change in the base of knowledge may force us to revise programs and regulations." Ken Lavigne, associate registrar (admissions), says a shorter high school cycle may force some students to sacrifice breadth in their education. Students now often take more than the required 30 courses, often in an effort to upgrade their marks. But some students, he believes, do it in the name of academic exploration - explorations that will probably be snuffed out by the coming changes. "In a more defined, career-oriented path, students may not be introduced to a subject that may pique an interest they thought they didn't have. That new subject may be an introduction to a student's life work. With these new changes, the opportunity for that spark to happen may be lost." Education minister John Snobelen announced in early November that students entering Grade 9 starting in 1997 will only have four years of high school in which to complete requirements for entering university. That will end Ontario's unique provision of grade 13 - all other provinces already have high school only to Grade 12. An Ontario Academic Credits system introduced in the 1980s was supposed to eliminate grade 13, but many students have continued to take five years to complete high school and get the required preparatory courses for university. The government hopes to save $350 million a year once the system is fully implemented in 2001, added Snobelen, who promised revised graduation requirements by next March. Kalbfleisch and Lavigne say few contingency plans can be made until those requirements and curriculum changes are announced. But Kalbfleisch's advice for Snobelen is that re straint should rule: "If gradual changes are made in curriculum, the plan may work. We'll just have to see." Lavigne is satisfied that Snobelen appreciates the quality of the current university preparatory requirements - completion of six OAC courses. Snobelen has said most reforms will be aimed at students who are not intending to go to university. A new priority for high school apprenticeships and co-op programs is on the table, although funding for such programs has yet to be announced. But Lavigne says he knows the OAC system is not immune to tinkering. "There's nothing sacred about the six in six OACs. That number could change. The worst-case scenario is that OACs could be eliminated." Like Kalbfleisch, Lavigne says such a change would force universities to re-examine their assumptions about first-year students. "If OACs are eliminated, there would have to be profound change other than cramming five years into four. Curriculum shifts would have to go back to Grades 7 and 8." Compressing five years into four without a corresponding curriculum changes in elementary schools would have the biggest effect in mathematics, Lavigne says. Preparedness for university would decline, thus forcing a wholesale restructuring of first-year curriculum in most UW faculties. "Math is fundamental for many courses here, so it would make a big difference." A reduced knowledge base among high school graduates could also jeopardize three-year university programs. Grade 13 is now seen as a university preparatory year, so a three- year degree here (available in some fields in every faculty except engineering) is seen as the equivalent of a four-year degree from outside of Ontario, Lavigne says. But a four-year high school stint would no longer justify having three-year degrees. Eliminating three-year programs at UW would disenfranchise a large distance education student body, he believes. These students often present a wide range of academic and experiential preparation that qualify them for three-year programs. But with only a four-year option, some learners may decide not to apply or may not be accepted once they apply. Lavigne says he may grudgingly accept the demise of three-year programs, but hopes some similar system remains for life-long learners. Snobelen's promise that new high school graduation requirements will be announced by March may point to rushed, poorly planned designs, Lavigne warns. "The sheer weight or importance of what these changes will bring should require more thought. This is an unrealistic time-frame for a well thought out curriculum recognizing the problems of those entering the workplace, college or universities." Grade 13 abolition also forces universities to deal with a one-time bulge in the number of applicants in 2001, when two years' worth of students - the last Grade 13s and new Grade 12 graduates - will leave high school at the same time. (The same problem was expected when the OAC credit system was first introduced and it became possible for students to finish high school in four years, but it fizzled out that time because most students decided not to take the four-year route.) Snobelen has yet to announce a firm plan to deal with this "double cohort" of students trying to get into universities and colleges. "We probably can't accommodate this bulge of extra people," Kalbfleisch says. But raising admission requirements that year to discourage the extra applicants would be unfair. Instead, a "phasing process", whereby some students would sit out the application process in 2001 and apply in later years, may be necessary, he advises. Lavigne says the "double cohort" problem may become a "tremendous" political issue for parents with children finishing high school that year. "If the government provides accessibility funding so that universities can absorb the cohort, we'll be okay. But if the funding formula doesn't change, there will be increased open competition which will present a potential morale problem for our kids. "And that can't be good for the youth of our province."