Online Learning School
TERMINOLOGY:
Student: A person enrolled in an educational programme provided by a board, including Online Learning schools.
Online Learning School: An alternative to in-person schooling where a child can learn at home while still meeting provincial education standards. This is not virtual schooling.
Provincial Online Learning School: An Online Learning School that offers an educational programme to any student in the Province.
District Online Learning School: An Online Learning School available only to students residing within the school district.
Public School: a government-funded educational institution that provides tuition-free education to all school-aged students within the province.
Independent School: an Authority operated, government regulated, partially funded school that offers an alternative to the public school system in pedagogy, world view, culture, faith, or other such approaches. All schools are required to follow the BC curriculum.
Educational Programme: An organised set of learning activities that is designed to enable learners to become literate, to develop their individual potential, and to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to contribute to a healthy, democratic and pluralistic society and a prosperous and sustainable economy
Online Learning
Online Learning is a flexible classroom alternative available to BC students. Children from K to 12 can enroll in one of the dozens of BC regulated Online Learning schools from around the province and learn at home while still meeting the Provincial Learning Outcomes. Schools are categorized as Provincial Online Learning Schools or District Online Learning Schools. They are further categorized as Public or Independent. All Online Learning Schools in BC are funded in order to allow the schools to provide an educational programme to the students. Even though students are learning at home through various means chosen by the parent and teacher, the supervising teacher is ultimately responsible for making sure the child’s learning plan is being met. Note that Online Learning is not meant to imply that learning is done virtually, although it can be in some cases.
Responsibilities
Learning at home while maintaining a connection to the school system allows students to keep in contact with their teacher from anywhere, submit work or reports on their learning progress, meet the BC curriculum standards, and earn credit in grades 10 – 12 towards the BC Graduation Program.
Learners are required to keep in regular contact with their teacher and report frequently on learning progress.
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Must follow the BC Curriculum
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Will be supervised by a BC certified teacher employed by the school
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Learner’s progress will be evaluated by a BC certified teacher and reports cards will be issued
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Learners must participate in the Provincial Graduation Assessments and the Foundation Skills Assessments
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A learner’s status in the school system is “student”
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Religious material may only be used in an Independent Online Learning School
Choosing a School
There are 37 Provincial Online Learning Schools (POLS) and dozens more District Online Learning Schools (DOLS) to chose from. Any student from anywhere in the province can enrol in a POLS by going to their website and following the enrollment instructions. District Online Learning Schools are open only to students in the district. You can find out more about them on your school district website.
Start by deciding what is important to you when it comes to the education of your children. Would you like to use faith-based material? Would you like rigid structure with assignments? Would you like to be able to follow an unschooling lifestyle while remaining in the school system? There is a school that fits. Call around or join the BC Homeschoolers and Online Learners facebook group to gain information on what school will work for you.
Only ordinary residents of BC are eligible to enrol in a BC school. If you are planning on world schooling or extended travel, talk to the school about how they can accomodate.
In Grades K- 7 schools are funded based on the number of children on the roll. This changes in Grade 8. Grades 8 – 12 are funded using a different formula which allows for cross-enrollment. That is, taking courses from different schools during the same school year.