Since COVID-19 and other world events are causing a lot of uncertainty with education, many parents are seeking alternative learning options. The schooling landscape is always changing, and the virus has only accelerated this process. On the bright side, all this time away from traditional school has helped us highlight just how many alternatives are available to students. We’ve explored how to homeschool effectively, how to do online tutoring, and now we’ll be answering the following question: what is cross enrolment?
Sign Up for Two Schools at Once (or more!)
Gone are the days of choosing just one school to attend. Thanks to cross enrolment, grade 8-12 students** can take part in programs offered by two or more schools at once. This means students can attend one public school and seamlessly take part in a program offered at another school.
This is a fantastic way to conduct education for students looking to get the most out of their schooling experience. For example, G.P. Vanier Secondary School in Courtenay, BC offers a hockey academy program because it is located right next to a skating rink. Cross enrolment allows students from other schools to participate in the program without attending G.P. Vanier full time. This means students can stay with their friends at their current school while going to another school for just part of the day.
**Under the Education Act, all children in BC are allowed to cross enrol, no matter what grade. However, elementary schools aren’t as keen to facilitate this due to confusion around how to split the government funding between multiple schools. Fortunately, our founder, Amber Scotchburn, discovered a workaround. Her youngest child was able to do a combination of homeschooling and brick-and-mortar school through grades 3-6. Her son would attend brick-and-mortar school 3-4 days a week while being homeschooled the other 1-2 days.
What is Cross Enrolment? Following Your Passions!
River, the eldest son of our founder, Amber Scotchburn, was very passionate about podcasts. River went to a business conference at the age of 16 and accepted an opportunity to take a podcasting course online through a business in the Unites States. He was very interested in taking this course, and nothing like this was offered at his brick-and-mortar catchment school.
While still enrolled in and attending the brick-and-mortar school in his catchment, River simultaneously enrolled in SelfDesign, an online school. Through his cross enrolment in this online school, he was able to take the podcasting course.
River also was interested in an investing course that was presented to him at this same business conference. Again, through this same process, he was able to take this investing course as well. As you can see, cross enrolment truly offers a child the opportunity to have a personalized learning experience!
Supplement Learning with Cross Enrolment
Now we know what cross enrolment is, but what is cross enrolment able to help with? Cross enrolment works well for students attending traditional high schools, and it also provides a multitude of options for those interested in alternative education. Distance learning programs such as NIDES and Island Connect Ed allow students to sign up for online courses beyond the classroom.
These sorts of programs are becoming increasingly popular as the complications surrounding COVID-19 continue. Both NIDES and Island Connect Ed are well equipped to provide high-quality education from a distance during these difficult times. Students are finding success, and our tutors are happy to help every step of the way!
Even if public schools open in the fall, it’s worth signing up for an online course or two anyway. Online courses can be taken alongside regular classes, and students are able to go at their own pace. This can come in handy if students can’t get into each of the classes they want. It’s also a great way to fulfill requirements for post-secondary school.
Cross Enrolment Helps Students Get into University
During high school, many kids aren’t sure what they want to do after they graduate. Due to this, some students will get to grade 12 and decide on a university program only to realize they don’t have the prerequisites. It can be difficult to try to fit these courses in among other grade 12 classes at a traditional school, but cross enrolment makes it easy.
Genevieve, the daughter of our founder, Amber Scotchburn, discovered that she needed to take physics 11 as a prerequisite for the university program she wanted to apply for. Even though she had already finished grade 11, cross enrolment allowed her to take physics 11 through Island Connect Ed without interfering with her grade 12 courses at her traditional school.
This style of hybrid education is growing in popularity, and we have plenty of experience helping families adapt. If you would like to learn more about hybrid education, check out our posts on the non-traditional path and the combination path.
Tutoring Makes Cross Enrolment Even Better!
Now if someone asks, “What is cross enrolment?” you can tell them exactly what it is with confidence! As always, Tutoring…With a Twist* would love to help with your journey through cross enrolment. We have a wealth of experience working with kids of all backgrounds, and we can ensure a smooth transition into this new and exciting world of alternative education. If you have any questions about this important topic, feel free to contact us for more information.
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*Services provided by With a Twist Education Ltd.