Many more young Islanders are taking advantage of summer educational opportunities, says Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Gerard Greenan.
“It is very encouraging to see students taking advantage of this summer learning opportunity,” says Minister Greenan. “The interest and the course offerings continue to grow each summer,” he said.
The number of students taking summer courses has increased steadily since 2006 when 25 students registered for Grade 12 academic Math and English. This summer 151 students took advantage of the opportunity to pick up a missing credit, take an extra credit, or improve their class mark.
Summer course content is condensed into a six-week period with a faster pace which can be challenging for students however, there are fewer students in the class, students are focused on one subject only and they tend to be motivated to do well when they invest part of their summer holidays towards school work.
The number of courses offered to students this summer also increased. The summer learning program has grown to include Grade 10 academic English; Grade 12 academic Math and English; English as an Additional Language; Cooperative Education; and Grade 11 Physics.
More English as an Additional Language courses were offered this year so that Grade 9 students could improve their language skills and knowledge before going to high school.
For the first time this year Cooperative Education was offered in the Summer School program. At one time Cooperative Education was considered by some people to be a career exploration path for the disengaged student. However, a growing number of higher academic students are seeing the relevance and the benefits of this experiential learning program.
More than twenty high school students enrolled in this summer’s Cooperative Education course. By combining classroom learning with productive work outside the classroom students can acquire practical experience related to their academic and career goals. Students explore their interest in a particular area which helps them determine if it is the direction they want to pursue in the future.
Cooperative Education is a high-rigor course which begins with 30 hours of class work over four and half days. Students study four skill areas; self assessment, work-place readiness, work-place application and work-place safety. Students also participate with employers and cooperative education staff to develop a personalized placement learning plan and define specific goals for their co-op placement.
Students are then expected to complete 80-100 hours of work during the 29-day placement period. This summer students were placed in areas including early childhood education, retail, automotive/machinery, construction, health care, veterinary medicine, culinary arts, horticulture and fishery.
“The number of summer school courses increases as student interest increases,” says Minister Greenan. “We will evaluate this year’s program and decide whether to offer new or additional courses next summer,” he said.