Ontario’s Two Mandatory Online Learning Credits: What Counts, Who Can Opt Out, and How to Earn Them
Reviewed by the Guidance Team at OES
Last updated August 2026 · 9 min read
Quick answer
Since the cohort that entered Grade 9 in 2020–21, every Ontario student working toward the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) must earn two online learning credits (often called e-learning credits) as part of their 30 credits — unless a parent or guardian opts them out (adult students can opt themselves out). There is no academic penalty for opting out. Only courses delivered entirely online count: in-person, blended, and live-streamed synchronous courses do not. Any two credits earned at a Ministry-inspected online school like OES meet the definition — browse eligible courses.
Where the requirement comes from
The two-credit online learning requirement was introduced by the Ontario Ministry of Education through Policy/Program Memorandum 167 (PPM 167). It applies to every student who entered Grade 9 in the 2020–21 school year or later and is working toward the OSSD. The Ministry’s stated goal is digital literacy: giving every graduate experience learning independently in an online environment before they encounter one at college, university, or work — where online courses and training are now routine.
The requirement began as a proposal for four mandatory online credits in 2019 and was scaled back to two after public consultation, with an opt-out added. Students working toward the Ontario Secondary School Certificate (OSSC) or a Certificate of Accomplishment, rather than the full diploma, are not subject to the requirement.
Questions about the online learning requirement?
Book a free 15-minute guidance call with an OES counsellor. We’ll walk you through what counts, how the opt-out works, and the simplest way to complete the two credits.
Book a Free 15-Min Guidance CallWhat actually counts as an “online learning credit” — and what doesn’t
This is the part families most often get wrong, and it matters because two credits a student thinks qualify may not.
Under PPM 167, an online learning course is a Grade 9–12 credit course delivered entirely using the internet, where students are not required to be physically present with each other or their teacher — except, where needed, for final examinations and evaluations, or to access internet, devices, or other supports.
Counts toward the requirement
- Fully online, asynchronous credit courses — including day school e-learning courses run through provincial platforms and courses completed at Ministry-inspected private online schools such as OES
Does not count
- In-person courses, even ones that use laptops, Google Classroom, or digital textbooks heavily
- Blended courses — partly in class, partly online
- Synchronous remote learning — the live video-call classes many students experienced during pandemic school closures fall under a different policy (PPM 164) and do not qualify. This surprises many families: a year of pandemic Zoom school did not, by itself, satisfy the requirement. (One narrow exception: up to one credit completed by Grade 9 students during the April–June 2021 province-wide closure may be counted.)
The practical test: if the course had scheduled times when the student had to be in a room — physical or virtual — with their class, it likely doesn’t count. If the student worked through the course independently online on their own schedule, it likely does.
The opt-out: how it works
Parents and guardians can opt a student out of the requirement by submitting a form to their school — school boards each provide their own version, and many accept it through guidance offices or online portals. Adult students (and students entering the system as adult learners in 2023–24 or later) opt themselves out.
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There is no academic penalty. An opted-out student completes the same 30 credits and all other OSSD requirements; the two online credits simply stop being mandatory for them.
OSR
It is recorded, not hidden. The opt-out form is placed in the student’s Ontario Student Record, and the transcript notes the requirement as “Non-Applicable.” Universities and colleges do not treat this as a negative — it is a standard notation.
70%
It is common. Ministry data reported in 2026 showed that roughly 70% of 2023–24 graduates did not complete the requirement, having been opted out or exempted, while about 46,000 graduates completed it.
Should a student opt out? An honest framing
There are legitimate reasons families opt out: some students learn best with direct, in-person teacher contact; some had a poor experience with emergency remote learning and equate all online learning with it; some schools’ e-learning sections have limited course selection.
There are also real reasons to complete the requirement rather than avoid it. Independent online learning is a skill nearly every student will need — most university and college programs now include online components, and workplace training is increasingly delivered the same way. A well-supported online course in high school, with tutoring and a certified teacher, is a lower-stakes place to build that skill than first-year university. And for many students the format is a practical advantage: the two required credits can be earned on their own schedule, opening timetable room at their day school for specialized courses, spares, co-op, or athletics.
The right answer depends on the student — which is exactly why the province made it a choice. What families should avoid is opting out by default, based on memories of pandemic remote learning, without knowing that purpose-built asynchronous courses are a different experience.
Questions about the online learning requirement?
Book a free 15-minute guidance call with an OES counsellor. We’ll walk you through what counts, how the opt-out works, and the simplest way to complete the two credits.
Book a Free 15-Min Guidance CallHow students typically complete the two credits
Students can meet the requirement through their school board’s e-learning program or through a Ministry-inspected private online school. Any two OSSD credit courses count — there is no rule that they be in particular subjects — so students often choose either courses that fit awkwardly into their day-school timetable or courses they want to complete over the summer. Whether a school calls them e-learning credits, online credits, or online learning credits, the same PPM 167 definition applies.
At OES, every course is delivered fully online and asynchronously by Ontario Certified Teachers, which means any two OES credits satisfy the online learning graduation requirement while also counting toward the 30 credits and any compulsory requirements they normally fulfill. Students enroll any day of the year, work at their own pace with up to 12 months per course, and write a proctored final exam online — no travel required. That structure fits the most common use cases we see: a Grade 11 student earning the two credits over a summer, a student-athlete keeping credits moving during training and travel, or a student adding a course their own school doesn’t offer. One practical tip: students earning the credits outside their day school should let their guidance counsellor know, so the credits are recorded toward the requirement on their transcript.
Ready to pick your two credits?
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Two credits, on your schedule.
Tell us where your student is at and our guidance team will send a personalized next-steps plan — which two courses fit best, a realistic timeline, and how the opt-out decision factors in.
Tell us your goal — we’ll map what’s realistic
Our guidance team will follow up by email with next steps tailored to your situation.
Still Have Questions?
Supported by Ontario Certified Teachers
Yes. “E-learning credits” is the everyday name for the same thing — Grade 9–12 credit courses delivered fully online under PPM 167. Day schools, school boards, and online schools use the terms interchangeably.
No. Any two Grade 9–12 credit courses delivered fully online count, whether compulsory or elective.
No. It begins with the cohort that entered Grade 9 in the 2020–21 school year. Earlier cohorts, including most mature students returning to finish a diploma, are not subject to it — and adult learners who are subject to it can opt themselves out.
Yes. OES courses are delivered entirely online and asynchronously by a Ministry-inspected private school (BSID #667186), meeting the PPM 167 definition of online learning credits.
Yes. Opting out removes the obligation, not the option. Opted-out students can enroll in online courses at any time, and those credits count toward the OSSD like any others.
No. The transcript simply records the requirement as “Non-Applicable.” Post-secondary admissions decisions are based on marks and program prerequisites.
Generally no — synchronous remote learning during school closures falls under a different policy and doesn’t meet the online learning definition, with a narrow exception recognizing up to one credit for Grade 9 students from the spring 2021 closure.
Meet the requirement without rearranging your life
Any two OES credits satisfy the online learning graduation requirement — earned on your schedule, taught by Ontario Certified Teachers, with the final exam proctored online.