Edmonton Public Schools
Edmonton Public Schools
The capital city of Alberta doesn’t only boast its natural beauties, being located on the shore of North Saskatchewan River but also the high standards of education in their education institutions. Edmonton is the fifth largest city in Canada with a population of over a million people. Its second name is Festival city as a lot of music, arts, theatre festivals are held here every year. Edmonton School Division or Edmonton Public Schools is the second largest school division in Alberta where more than one hundred thousand students acquire education in the elementary, and high schools in the city of Edmonton.
Programs
Edmonton School Board offers various paths of education for the students with different aims and goals in life, as the Edmonton Public Schools administration fosters diversity and critical thinking in all of their schools. So a student is offered to choose among regular programs, alternative and specialized ones. There are more than thirty alternative programs offered by Edmonton Public Schools which have a focus on philosophy, arts, languages and some are even faith based.
For example, as far as language programs are concerned, there are immersion and bilingual programs which help to bring up a child who is articulate and eloquent in two languages. The immersion program is based on the French language, which means that while studying in one of the Edmonton School Board a student is taught entirely in French, implying that they should already have a high level of the English language. The studies begin from the grade one, or even earlier from the kindergarten and last until the end of the high school. If a student speaks and acquires education in French and communicates and uses English in their daily life, this would make them know both of the languages on the level of a native speaker. Another language program offered by Edmonton Public Schools is bilingual, where fifty percent of the studies are taught in the chosen language, the list of which is quite impressive: American sign language, Arabic, Chinese, French, Hebrew, German and Spanish. If a student of one of the Edmonton Public Schools participates in any of the French programs, at the graduation they will be able to achieve an internationally recognized certificate of French language comprehension. The Spanish bilingual program of Edmonton Public Schools means that a student will be able to achieve an International Spanish Academy Status while studying in school. This opportunity is only provided for schools which meet all the requirements of the Spanish Ministry of Education and always confirms the ability to educate students Spanish on the very high level, which Edmonton Public Schools do. Students can start to participate in the program from grade one or kindergarten. Similar program is offered in Hebrew which main aim is to teach students Hebrew, rich Jewish culture and it’s also possible to attend the program from the very kindergarten.
Learning American Sign Language is extremely important for all people as people need to appreciate and pay respect to the people who have any physical disabilities and, as a consequence, their language of communication is sign language. Edmonton Public Schools administration perfectly understands the fact and allows students to learn it with the help of educational interpreters, language pathologist and audiologist together with the bilingual educators.
Another program which is one of the alternative ones of Edmonton Public School is teaching philosophy and some faith-based Christian schools, which delivers students education according to the usual Alberta curriculum, but together with Christian beliefs and theological studies. There are four schools among Edmonton Public Schools that are based on the Christian religion.
As for specialized learning of Edmonton School Board, this program is aimed at providing education to students who have special emotional, learning, behavioral and physical needs due to some medical conditions.
Some Edmonton Public Schools are also open to the students who go through the periods of pregnancy and parenting during the school's studies from the thirteen to twenty. Schools provide them with day care centres for children, individually devised flexible school schedules and financial support.
Six of Edmonton Public Schools also provide alternative education for the completion of high schools if a student needs a more flexible schedule, needs to study in the online mode, has a need for studying from home and is returning to school after a break.
Edmonton School Board cares about teaching students the skills they will need after graduation to successfully find a job or get to the university already having extensive work experience. That’s why Edmonton Public Schools offers skills and job training programs during which students can work and take apprenticeships together with studying in a high school. For example, a special apprentice program allows students to study in school for half of the year and another half dedicated to being an apprentice in one of the fifty trades in Alberta. Another program is provided in all of the Edmonton Public Schools which helps students from the grades eight to twelve to develop their skills and become prepared for employment and citizenship. Only the students of Edmonton Public Schools who show high academic performance can participate in the program.
Edmonton Public Schools welcome international students for full-time studies if they want to achieve a high school diploma and continue their studies in the higher education institutions in Canada. Also international students can study English in Edmonton Public Schools, prepare for post-secondary institutions and immerse into the community of Canadians. Edmonton Public Schools don’t require a minimum of English language knowledge so International students can start their studies of English as a second language without even having the basics of the language. Also international students can participate in Summer Schools held by Edmonton Public Schools which last for three weeks of July during which students have a chance to earn credit in English, Sciences, Social Studies etc.
The tuition fee for a year of studies in Edmonton Public Schools for international students is $12500 CAD with additional health insurance fee of around $500 CAD from September to June and $275 CAD from September to January or from February to June.
Edmonton Public Schools also offer the continuing education programs for adults for their high school upgrading, preparation for provincial achievements tests, courses of English as a second language and other academic enrichment courses. For example, studying on the continuing education courses offered by Edmonton Public Schools, adult students can achieve certificates in project management, leadership, administrative assistant and office skills. For example, a leadership certificate will cost a student around $650 for learning leadership skills, techniques of effective communication in the workplace and how to gain more confidence.
Accommodation
Edmonton School Board offers international students to participate in a homestay program, which means that international students live with a Canadian family during their school studies. It has many benefits: students are always provided with food, a private bedroom, a washroom and laundry facilities, moreover homestays only contribute to their studies as the host family is English speaking and don’t know the native language of a student, which makes them acquire the language skills faster and more effectively. The program ensures that the families are carefully selected and safe to live with. The cost of living with a host family is around $11800 CAD for ten months and $6705 CAD for a five months homestay.
Future Prospects
After achieving a high school diploma in Edmonton Public Schools, an international student can apply for the post-secondary institutions, finishing of which can be the step towards obtaining a work permit in Canada, if the aim is to immigrate to the country. So one of the options of an international student to continue their studies can be University of Alberta, which is ranked among the best Canadian and world universities. The university offers undergraduate and graduate studies. At the undergraduate level, an international student is offered to achieve a Bachelor of Kinesiology, Bachelor of Science and Agriculture, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Commerce and many others. For example, Business Studies in the University of Alberta aim at educating students on the courses of marketing, retail, finance, accounting together with developing their soft skills important to working the sphere of business. Students can work as account managers, accountants, auditors, business analysts and project management after graduation. As for the tuition fees, international students are to pay $35000 for a year of studies. To achieve a Bachelor of Commerce in the Faculty of Business, students need to study for four years.
Alberta College also offers various programs, one of them is the so-called Blue Seal which can be studied by the ones who already have occupational or proficiency certificates. The program was devised for encouraging people to study business disciplines and can be a big advantage for employment. After graduation from the university students can apply for the work permit if they meet all criteria, which allows them to work in Canada full time, part time or become self-employed.
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