4.2 Adult Basic Education (ABE) Program

The Adult Basic Education (ABE) program was designed to give adults an opportunity to complete their high school education. ABE is offered at the College of the North Atlantic and at approved Private Training Institutions.

The course comparison matrices provided on the following pages show the current ABE courses and the equivalent former ABE courses, BTSD (Basic Training for Skills Development) courses, and high school courses (current and old). There are five content areas covered by these matrices including, General Options, Employability Skills, Communications Skills, Mathematics, and Science. Courses listed under "current high school" which are outside content areas and have no equivalent under "current ABE", may be used for general options credits.

Courses in high school prior to 1982 (in Math, English, and Science) are worth 4 credits each, unless otherwise indicated. Courses in other subject areas (Geography, French etc.) are worth 2 credits each. For BTSD courses, former ABE courses, and current high school courses, credits will be transferred on a "one-for-one" basis. This means that the credit value of each course taken has the same credit value transferred into the current ABE program. Examples, IC3215 is worth 2 credits, Language 3101 is worth 1 credit, C9 + C12 are worth a total of 2 credits.

ABE credits can be accumulated by:

1) completing the required ABE courses described in the Adult Basic Education Program Guide Level III;

2) completing courses under the "old" ABE program or BTSD program;

3) completing courses in the present high school curriculum;

4) completing courses in the pre-1983 re-organized high school program (grades 10 & 11);

5) completing courses other than those described above (eg. apprenticeship courses, courses in other languages etc.);

6) completing courses in Level II of the ABE curriculum; and

7) maturity credits in recognition of experience in the adult world.

Note:

The Atlantic Provinces Educational Foundation is in the process of creating common curriculum for the Atlantic region. In September 1996, the revised Chemistry 3202 course was offered in high schools across the province. Due to major content changes there is no equivalency with the ABE Chemistry course. Individuals who completed the ABE program prior to 1996, would receive credit for the former high school Chemistry 3202 course however, those who completed the program after 1996, would not receive credit for the current Chemistry 3202 course, but would still receive credit for Chemistry 2202.

Please consult the appropriate institutional calendar or Registrar/Student Service Offices for more information.

(*) Students that complete the former high school Chemistry 3202 must do one elective unit in carbon chemistry or electrochemistry or nuclear chemistry. Students that complete the first elective should be awarded credit in ABE for IH 3119; students that complete the second elective unit should be awarded credit for IH 3120.