Private schools in Province of British Columbia

• Advanced

British Columbia private schools, through extracurricular activities, electives, gifted programs, and other benefits, provide their pets with exceptional experiences that are not available to public school students. All this adds up to higher average scores on standardized tests and entrance exams — in some schools, 100% of graduates successfully enter the first-choice university (that is, the most prestigious, rating, priority for themselves).

• Small classes

According to statistics, the smaller the class, the higher the academic results of average students. Non-public schools may vary in size from one to another, but almost all of them point to small class sizes as a key advantage as an opportunity to demonstrate a personal approach to all students. And this is completely justified and fair.

• Parent Involvement

Most private schools are built on the active involvement of parents in the life of the school community. Regular gatherings, social events, breakfasts and family trips and excursions make the family a key element of the learning process, while at the same time contributing to the establishment of strong bonds between children and their parents.

• High qualification of teachers

Teachers in non-public schools are often more qualified than their public school counterparts, and many have advanced degrees in their field. According to a 2017 study by the Fraser Institute, 91% of parents cited the high professionalism of teachers as the reason for choosing a private school.

• Security

Private schools in British Columbia maintain a higher standard of discipline, and a comfortable ratio of teachers to students allows for greater control over their wards. Finally, private schools are perfectly guarded, which excludes the presence of strangers and unauthorized absences of children.

• High-quality infrastructure

The best private schools in British Columbia have significant resources to support their pets everywhere from the sports field to the art studio. Modern computer laboratories, rich libraries, good stadiums - all this allows students to fully reveal their talents.

• Extracurricular Program

Private schools can place a strong emphasis on a well-rounded education and encourage children to participate in extracurricular activities such as sports, music, arts or drama. On the one hand, this contributes to the development of useful skills and soft skills, on the other hand, it provides a respite from the stresses associated with the academic load.

• General philosophy

Private schools can offer an optimal productive academic experience for a child: traditional IB, A-level or K-12 programs, Waldorf, Reggio Emilia or Montessori systems allow the child to grow up free and independent, gaining unique skills that suit their learning style.

The structure of the non-state segment of secondary education in British Columbia is quite heterogeneous. In general, schools can be divided into three types: elite, specialized, and denominational; Private schools are further divided into 4 categories according to the level of funding.

At the same time, every independent school in the province is a member of at least one of the 13 school associations, councils or conferences.

• School Associations

Of the province's 370 non-public schools, 297 are members of the Federation of Independent School Associations of British Columbia (FISABC). Members of this association are also members of one of six other organizations, some of which are members of several:

• Association of Independent Schools;
• Independent Catholic schools;
• International Association of Christian Schools;
• Seventh-day Adventist religious schools;
• Schools of the Society of Christian Schools.

Some schools in the province may be members of national and even international associations, such as TASIS or IB (International Baccalaureate) schools.

• Elite Schools

This category includes preparatory schools that have formal membership in ISABC, CAIS, TABS, NCGS or NAIS, which are among the top private schools in British Columbia. There are 29 such schools in the province, of which 10 are boarding schools. This type is most consistent with our idea of private schools (the famous Hogwarts is just such a school).

• Specialized Schools

The formal criteria for belonging to this group are more complex. Special schools may have a special curriculum or a special academic focus (football, athletics, music, STEM or engineering, mathematics, etc.), a special pedagogical method (this includes Waldorf and Montessori schools), educational institutions for special groups of students (for example, blind or visually impaired, etc.). This also includes non-governmental schools of indigenous peoples. In total, we are talking about 144 (39%) schools with 20.1 thousand students.

• Denominational Schools

They make up the majority of non-governmental schools in British Columbia - 62% of students study here. Within the family of religious schools, there are two unequal groups: mass denominational and elite private educational institutions under the auspices of one of the Catholic orders or Protestant communities.

• Mixed Schools

They are equally common in both public and private schools, and more often in non-denominational schools, although some Catholic schools practice co-education.

• Separate schools

Existing stereotypes that boys are more inclined to exact and natural sciences than girls have no scientific basis. However, it is reliably known that comfortable learning conditions for children of different genders differ – and segregated schools are designed to meet this need, to provide students with the most comfortable and safe environment.

British Columbia has a twelve-year education: children are sent to school at the age of five, and they graduate at the age of 17-18. Up to the 10th grade, the program is generally standardized and includes a typical set of compulsory disciplines, which can be supplemented with specialized courses, if the schedule allows.

In high school, specialization begins: tenth-graders choose a technical or humanitarian profile, as well as 7 elective subjects. Each subject gives 4 academic credits, in three years you need to get at least 80 of them - otherwise you will not be able to graduate. In the 10th and 11th grades, both basic and specialized disciplines are taught, but in the 12th grade, only those that are required for admission to the university for the chosen program and direction remain in the schedule.

There is no universal set of compulsory subjects even in public schools, let alone private ones. At the same time, the choice is not limited to mathematics, English and physical education: somewhere the "menu" includes natural sciences or a STEM course, somewhere creative disciplines such as dramatic or expressive art, music or acting. This point is important to consider when choosing a school.

Depending on the educational institution, the courses are divided into blocks, most often there are four of them: A, B, C, D. Each has one elective discipline, so there are no permanent classes in Canadian private schools, each student has a personal schedule and different groups that take into account not only the subject, but also the level (basic or profile).

In British Columbia, there are two mandatory exams - English, in the 12th grade, and in Canadian history in the 11th.

• Boarding Schools

Students and teachers in such schools live on campus, often throughout the academic year, without leaving even for vacations. This format provides a specific and sufficiently rich social and educational experience, allows you to become independent, show leadership qualities and learn to build social ties in a variety of conditions - both with peers and adults.

• Day Schools

They are more like a traditional school - after school, students go home. 80% of private schools in the province of British Columbia are day schools without accommodation, without boarding.

This option implies living in a foster family and involves greater flexibility, leaving the teenager freedom of movement and the opportunity to explore the world on their own. There is a stereotype that host families are cheaper than boarding houses, but it all depends on the school itself.

• Nutrition

Schools offer various conditions, up to full boarding with a varied menu and the ability to "adjust" it to the needs of a particular child (diets, food taboos, vegetarianism). Usually, the dining room has a buffet or salad bar, reverse vending machines with snacks and drinks.

• Activities

Any private school is not only a rigorous academic program, but also dozens, if not hundreds, of extracurricular activities! Basketball and theater clubs, Lego and robotics, board games and gardening, animal care and all kinds of handicrafts, football and swimming, and, of course, the most important game of all Canadians is hockey. In some schools, the choice of electives is fixed, while others, on the contrary, encourage student initiative and support self-organization.

Canadian private schools today are not only the lot of the rich - the general increase in prosperity has made them more affordable. According to statistics, 56% of families whose children study in independent schools have an income of less than $ 100 thousand per year. While the average cost of a year of private schools in British Columbia is 26,000 CAD, minimum fees start at 3,000-4,000 CAD, and in the ranking of the TOP-50 best private schools in the province, six have an annual fee of no more than 12,000 CAD.

Schools with high tuition costs often offer scholarship programs; Typically, the scholarship covers 10-20% of the fee, but in rare cases, the reimbursement can be 100%.

Studying at a boarding school is noticeably more expensive: the cost of living varies from 12,000 to 120,000 CAD per year, with an average of 37,000 CAD.

Individual lessons, some extracurricular activities, uniforms, textbooks, long excursions and trips, as well as equipment and supplies for creative circles, rental or purchase of musical instruments and sports equipment are paid separately.