Page 24 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Cooperative Education

THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | Cooperative Education
meeting the needs of diverse learners, facilitating supportive relationships, and generally enhancing the quality of the student’s educational experience. These considerations apply whether students are participating in a community experience where they are physically on site at the placement or whether the student placements are virtual. The considerations are addressed through:
• awareness of the requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and other legislation and regulations with respect to Ontario workplaces, such as requirements for reporting critical or fatal injuries, requirements in the Employment Standards Act (ESA) that apply to students at work placements, and minimum-age requirements for certain industries and workplaces (see also page 33);
• assessment of the community placement before and during the experience;
• the requirement that students demonstrate the skills and knowledge outlined in the curriculum expectations related to health, safety, and well-being before the start of the community component;
• regular monitoring and integration activities that support health, safety, and well-being throughout the community component.
Cooperative education teachers are required to ensure that an assessment of every student’s community placement has been completed prior to the start of the community component of the course. Even if a community placement has been assessed in the past, the placement must be reassessed to ensure that it continues to meet the criteria listed below. The goal of the assessment is to ensure that students have a physically and emotionally safe and educationally meaningful experience. The assessment takes into account the nature of the community connection, the fit between it and the student’s learning goals and course expectations, and the role of the supervisor at the placement.
Specifically, assessments must ensure that all community connections or placements have the capacity to provide:
• information, site-specific training, and ongoing supervision to protect students’ health, safety, and well-being, as required by the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Employment Standards Act, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, the Ontario Human Rights Code, and the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act;
• a suitable physical environment for the student to engage in a range of relevant learning opportunities and experiences, including those related to the use of technology, equipment, and tools;
• an educationally rich learning experience based on the Student’s Cooperative Education Learning Plan;
• adjustments based on the learning needs of the student, including those of students with special education needs.
School boards are required to develop cooperative education policies and procedures for establishing and assessing community connections that adhere to all relevant legislation and ministry policies, including Policy/Program Memorandum No. 76A, “Workplace Safety and Insurance Coverage for Students in Work Education Programs”. School boards must also ensure that students are aware of the process to follow should concerns or issues arise during the community experience. If the teacher becomes aware of a health, safety, or well-being hazard or concern, the student must be withdrawn from the placement until the situation has been resolved and an updated assessment has been completed.
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