Parents and Students Enjoy a Limitless Array of Educational Options
With its open boundaries and variety of specialized fields of study, the Edmonton Public Schools system gives parents and children an amazing, and growing, range of opportunities.
By letting parents choose a school, limited only by space and programming issues specific to certain locations and fields of study, the entire system is available regardless of where a family lives. And then there’s the roster of special-education and alternative programs, which range from aboriginal education to entire facilities dedicated to the sciences and the arts – and just about everything in between. The end result is a system dedicated to advancing its students’ interests wherever possible and allowing for great latitude while doing so, says Edgar Schmidt, superintendent.
“Open boundaries and programs of choice have been hallmarks of our school jurisdiction,” Schmidt says. “We believe that if the community supports different types of programs, that we should provide them, given space to provide it and provision under the School Act. These decisions, made by boards over the years, have broad worldwide acclaim to Edmonton Public Schools, as well as significant support and approval by parents and the local community.”
So much so, in fact, that six new schools will open in September 2010. And there are several renovation projects throughout the system. In September 2009, the Lillian Osborne High School opened in the Terwillegar area of the city, marking the first new high school in 25 years there, according to Schmidt.
The system, which has around 80,000 students, has gotten praise for its diverse programming, which allows every student a chance to find his or her niche and prosper.
“Students learn in different ways, and one way to support various learning styles and approaches is to offer delivery of instruction that more closely aligns to student’s ways of learning,” Schmidt says. “All students meet or exceed the Alberta Program of Studies through these various approaches.”
That’s certainly evident at the Victoria School of Performing & Visual Arts, which has 1,700 students. The K-12 school is so popular that it draws students from the entire area and is having to turn away students in some grade levels.
“Edmonton is really lucky to have the diversity that the school systems offers,” says John Beaton, principal. “The public really does help determine what we’re going to do and where our strengths and priorities should be, because they choose the programs they want to enrol their children in. If you want arts, or science, or German immersion, if there are enough people interested, then we will offer it.”
The Victoria school also offers the International Baccalaureate program, which highlights the system’s ongoing focus on academic rigour as well as facility and curriculum choice.
“It means that we get kids from all over, and that they’re coming for the right reason,” Beaton says. “They want to further their education in the visual or performing arts, but they also want the International Baccalaureate philosophy. It’s an amazing program, and they are working at very high levels.”
Story by Joe Morris
