The aim of Accounting is to provide the opportunity for students in Grades 10, 11, and 12 to develop a basic understanding of the accounting cycle and to develop the problem-solving and decision-making skills used to interpret accounting and financial information.

Employment Skills: To understand accounting by using, interpreting, and analyzing source documents, summary documents, and financial statements.

Business Environment: To realize the importance of, and to be able to adapt to, changes in support techniques in accounting such as cash control, technology, source documents, and formats of documents.

Student-Image and Business Attitudes: To understand the ethical and moral responsibilities of an employee when in a position of responsibility and trust in accounting for a business.

Personal-Use Skills: To be able to apply basic accounting concepts to personal-use situations whether for self, school, outside agencies, or business.

Communications: To develop the vocabulary and ability to communicate with peers, teachers, and community in the contemporary accounting sense.

The focus of the revised accounting curriculum is to provide young people with practical business and financial knowledge and skills to function effectively in our changing and complex technological and market-based society. The needs of all students for decision making, resource management, citizenship, career and personal planning, and financial skills must be present in the curriculum.

There is a growing concern that young people leaving school today need essential understandings, economic, financial, and consumer skills and attitudes to cope successfully and to participate productively in an information society. Students must be able to manage personal finances, act appropriately according to their rights and responsibilities as citizens, process information effectively and efficiently, make sound decisions about life careers and choices, and participate constructively as consumers and producers. These general competencies must be coupled with those that may lead to employment or advanced studies in business.

Foundational objectives are the major, general statements that guide what each student is expected to achieve for the modules of the PAA curriculum guidelines. Foundational objectives indicate the most important knowledge, skills, attitudes/values, and abilities for a student to learn in a subject. Both the Foundational Objectives for Accounting 10, 20, 30 and the Common Essential Learnings (CELs) Foundational Objectives to be emphasized are stated in this document. Some of these statements may be repeated or enhanced in different modules for emphasis. The Foundational Objectives of the modules of Accounting curriculum include:

• To examine the concepts of the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAPs) and utilize these concepts within accounting activities.
• To organize and process basic financial data using the accounting equation and ledger accounts.
• To understand the basic operation of a merchandising firm (or accounting firm?)
• To develop an understanding of profit planning and how it may be used as a tool in management decisions.
• To analyze and use financial statements effectively when making management decisions.
• To utilize basic banking functions effectively for business or personal banking decisions.
• To recognize the importance of payroll functions within the business environment.
• To develop an understanding of personal and business taxation.
• To develop shortcuts that may make the recording of traditional accounting more efficient.
• To perform basic business calculations with speed and accuracy.
• To understand the organizational and legal differences of sole proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations (including cooperatives) and their applicable systems.
• To develop and utilize accounting procedures that suits the needs of the agricultural sector.
• To recognize technology as a tool to aid in the accounting process.
• To become accustomed with and adept at the use of accounting software and understand its strengths and limitations.
• To become an aware of the careers and opportunities in the field of accounting that exist in Saskatchewan and other provinces.
• To become aware of the post-secondary programs offered in the province that are related to the field of accounting.
• To demonstrate accounting procedures for a business.
• To be aware of the careers and employment opportunities in the field of accounting that exist in Saskatchewan and other provinces.
• To integrate classroom learning with work-related learning.
• To increase awareness of employability skills as they relate to the work environment.
• To develop accounting skills that may lead to successful employment.

This curriculum contains core modules developed for each of the three accounting levels and optional modules that can be used at each level. The topics within the core modules serve as the means for developing the content, processes, skills, and attitudes required for understanding accounting. The core modules for Accounting 10 are entitled Accounting Cycle: Service Firm and Career Opportunities in Accounting. Module 2, the core module of Accounting 20 is entitled Accounting Cycle: Merchandising Firm. Introductory Management Accounting and Financial Statement Analysis form the core module of Accounting 30.

Most of the modules in the accounting curriculum, including the core modules, have been divided into a number of sub-modules. This provides greater opportunity and flexibility to teach some of the sub-modules in Survey Courses both at the middle level and at the secondary level. It is important to note that the sub-modules of a module are to be completed in the order presented, and that each sub-module is a prerequisite to the next. All the sub-modules of a module do not need to be taught in a Survey Course. As with all PAA courses, recordkeeping of the modules (and sub-modules) completed, and communication with the receiving teacher will be very important when using the sub-modules in a survey course.

Along with the core module for each level, optional modules will be selected to complete the 100 hours necessary for a Practical and Applied Arts credit in Accounting at the Secondary Level. Optional modules (with identified prerequisite modules) have been developed to allow teachers, principals and school divisions the flexibility to cooperatively select the optional modules desired to complete the accounting courses at the 10, 20 and 30 levels. If prerequisite modules have been completed, optional modules may be used in a survey course.