Surrey School Overcrowding And How Online Schools Help
As students begin to feel the constraints placed on them and their teachers, some students are finding success switching to other options – particularly online schools.
Schools cannot handle Surrey’s population growth
Surrey schools continue to face growing pains as the population swells while builders anxiously try to keep up with demand. As a result, online schools in Surrey have seen an increase in enrollment as students flee overcrowded classrooms.
B.C.’s education system has been plagued with problems from teacher strikes, to overcapacity issues, and an inability to build permanent school structures in B.C. fast enough to keep pace with Surrey’s population growth. But there is hope on the horizon. As independent online schools rise in popularity, alternate approaches like online classes can help reduce stresses on the public system.
Online schools help solve class-size problems
All our courses are taught online and students book office hours with their teacher when they need support. With an online school such as ours, a student never has to worry about not getting a “seat” in the class he or she wants. There is always room for students to enroll in online courses.
Portable classrooms are not permanent solutions
Students are increasingly being forced to take class inside temporary portable classroom structures. These temporary structures are starting to become permanent solutions for overcrowded school districts.
Thanks to an online environment and 1-on-1 teacher-student workspaces, iLearn can offer more courses to more students. We do this without the need for a large physical space or portable classroom structures.
Other schools are structured around a minimum of 25 students attending class. Due to this requirement, it can be difficult to offer courses in health, technology, marketing, or other specialized topics. This prevents students from exploring their interests and is not aligned with society’s need for a self-led education plan.
Online schools save taxpayer dollars
Student academic requirements are the same at public schools as independent online schools (DL school). However, independent online schools receive a fraction of the funding of its public counterparts. It’s at independent schools that we see more experimentation on how to allocate spending to provide students the best education experience for them. At iLearn, our online school program (Digital Learning), saves the BC Ministry of Education thousands of dollars, while students are still held to the same academic standards. Plus, many students (at iLearn) boast a better student experience – especially for those who did not like their public school.
Online schools reduce waste
Many public schools are still stuck in the stone ages forcing students to complete assignments in handwriting, which in turn forces the teacher to mark assignments on paper and return that paper back.
Paper is fragile, handwriting is often illegible, and losing a piece of paper is as easy as, well, losing a piece of paper. Not to mention that now the assignment is marked, it needs to be updated into a database, which only adds to the administrative burden for the teacher.
Although not mandated, iLearn encourages students to type their assignments and notes to increase typing speed. Digital submissions help students become familiar with procedures similar to university and the workplace. This way assignments do not get lost and marks can be returned sooner with feedback that’s legible and easily accessible.
Independent schools operate as non-profit societies that are partially funded by the BC Ministry of Education. iLearn’s curriculum is provided entirely online. This helps free up valuable teacher time to be spent helping students individually. Students receive the same credits toward a B.C. Dogwood Diploma and often feel more prepared for post-secondary.
iLearn offers an online curriculum, over 150 course options, and 1-on-1 support. We help build relevant experiences for students that can be woven into a curriculum that’s accessible 24/7. Would you benefit from the individuality or freedoms felt at iLearn? Check your eligibility to get started.