A look at the schools in Edmonton Alberta
Alberta has a unique and appealing school system that is worth looking into. It has a variety of schools that cater to special groups. The public school system was losing a lot of students before it came up with its new program.
Some of the new schools they have designed are already in place elsewhere in Canada, but never in the public school system. One of their hits is a native school, where students of native ancestry are not so likely to lose their heritage. They begin each day with the burning of incense and a sort of prayer. Another hit is the all-girls middle school. At a difficult time in their development, the girls do not have to worry about dressing up and looking pretty for their beau. Instead they can focus on their education. This is an exciting opportunity that many parents are taking advantage of.
Other schools include a military school for highschool aged boys. This school teaches them such things as military heritage. There is a kindergarten to grade 12 arts school for parents who want their children to have more exposure to the arts rather than the sciences. Of course, the majority of schools are just your typical public schools, but everyone has the option of attending the specialized schools if they wish.
After these new schools opened, the enrolment rate in the public school system skyrocketed. And why not? If a parent is paying big dollars for their child to attend a private school, and then the public schools offer the same sort of program free of charge, why not take advantage of it! It is a win-win situation. And the children are more eager to learn if they are in a program that interests them.
Perhaps this is the way to go for the rest of Canada. Obviously, by catering to the needs of individuals, you can satisfy an entire group of students. Some may argue, however, that this is not Canada. Everyone is equal and we should all bring our differences together into the same classroom. This is a nice idea but it just doesn’t work in the classroom. Students are frequently racist and inconsiderate when given the chance to be. If they are segregated into interests groups, perhaps they will be better able to see the similarities between each other. For example, all the students in the arts school will share a common interest in art whether they are Muslim and black or Catholic and white.