Page 57 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9-12: English As a Second Language and English Literacy Development, 2007

rights to privacy and confidentiality as outlined in the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. They have the right to function in an environment free from abuse and harassment, and they need to be aware of harassment and abuse issues in establishing boundaries for their own personal safety.
Students should be informed about school and community resources and school policies and reporting procedures with respect to all forms of abuse and harassment. Policy/Program Memorandum No. 76A,“Workplace Safety and Insurance Coverage for Students in Work Education Programs” (September 2000), outlines procedures for ensuring the provision of Health and Safety Insurance Board coverage for students who are at least fourteen years of age and are on placements of more than one day. (A one-day job-shadowing or job-twinning experience is treated as a field trip.) Teachers should also be aware of the minimum age requirements outlined in the Occupational Health and Safety Act for per- sons to be in or to be working in specific workplace settings. Relevant ministry policies are outlined in Cooperative Education and Other Forms of Experiential Learning: Policies and Procedures for Ontario Secondary Schools, 2000.
All cooperative education and other workplace experience will be provided in accordance with the ministry’s policy document entitled Cooperative Education and Other Forms of Experiential Learning: Policies and Procedures for Ontario Secondary Schools, 2000.
THE ONTARIO SKILLS PASSPORT AND ESSENTIAL SKILLS
Teachers planning programs in ESL and ELD need to be aware of the purpose and bene- fits of the Ontario Skills Passport (OSP). The OSP is a bilingual, Web-based resource that enhances the relevance of classroom learning for students and strengthens school−work connections. The OSP provides clear descriptions of “Essential Skills”, such as Reading Text, Writing, Computer Use, Measurement and Calculation, and Problem Solving, and includes an extensive database of occupation-specific workplace tasks that illustrate how workers use these skills on the job. The Essential Skills are transferable, in that they are used in virtually all occupations. The OSP also includes descriptions of important work habits, such as working safely, being reliable, and providing excellent customer service. The OSP is designed to help employers assess and record students’ demonstration of these skills and work habits during their cooperative-education placements. Students can use the OSP to identify the skills and work habits they already have, plan further skill development, and show employers what they can do.
The skills described in the OSP are the Essential Skills that the Government of Canada and other national and international agencies have identified and validated, through extensive research, as the skills needed for work, learning, and life. The Essential Skills provide the foundation for learning all other skills and enable people to evolve with their jobs and adapt to workplace change. For further information on the OSP and the Essential Skills, visit: http://skills.edu.gov.on.ca.
SOME CONSIDERATIONS FOR PROGRAM PLANNING IN ESL AND ELD
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