FutureSkills High School

FutureSkills High School is a co-educational independent school^[1] in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They have opened a new campus on a 2 acres land in Richmond Hill, Ontario. The school offers credit courses for students in grades 9 to 12 who seek their OSSD (Ontario Secondary School Diploma). The school is also an accredited TOEFL test center. International students can prepare for and take their TOEFL exam at their premises.

History

The school was established in 1997 in Toronto, under the name Netskills College. The focus was on computer courses. In 2002 the name was changed to FutureSkills High School, to reflect the addition of high school credit courses to the curriculum. Private schools have sometimes been controversial, with some in the media^[2] claiming that a private education gives students an unfair advantage.

Cost

FutureSkills High School's full year (up to 8 courses) basic tuition fee is $9960 for international secondary school students and $8850 for local high school students.^[3] This works out to be over a thousand dollars per course. This does not include the cost of text books or tutoring. By contrast, public schooling like the Independent Learning Center only costs 40 dollars per course, textbooks are included for free in digital format, and weekly Q&A sessions with teachers in a chatroom are free.

The public schooling is free to Canadian nationals, immigrants and refugees only. International students attending public schools must pay a fee similar to a private school. For example, schools under the Toronto District School Board, charge $14,000 per year for maximum 8 courses.

Programs

The school is a credit-granting institution. It is certified by the Ontario Ministry of Education. School has no age limit policy. This enables adult students to join FutureSkills and complete their high school diploma. Students have the option of attending full-time or part-time through day school, night school and summer school programs. Mature students^[4] who are unable to attend all the classes are offered fast track classes through a variety of one on one lessons^[5] and online courses. A combination of one on one lessons and Internet based courses allows these students to complete accredited high school credits, without attending all the regular classes. Their major exams must be supervised.

Approximately, one third of FutureSkills population are international students, who can choose from a range of ESL courses (ESLAO, ESLBO, ESLCO, ESLDO, ESLEO)^[6] to prepare them for linguistic integration into the English speaking communities.

Interactivity

FutureSkills has some on-line interactivity on its website. Teachers and administrators update the website on a regular basis, providing information that is relevant to students and parents. Enrolled students are urged to access teachers' notes, assignments, and their marks as soon as they are produced by the teachers. This information is shared with parents or guardians if the students are under the age of 18. The site is kept up-to-date on a range of issues associated with parenting teens.

E-learning (Virtual School)

For those students who are unable to attend (live too far from school, or have medical issues), or prefer to study on their own, i.e., at their own speed, the school is offering online distance learning version of most programs (e-learning) . This would be taken in conjunction with, and driven by the in-class curriculum as defined by the Ontario Ministry of Education. It is supported by regular student-teacher meetings via internet.

Fast Track Option

For those students who need to finish a course faster, or are unable to attend the regular classes, FutureSkills offers Fast Track courses. Fast Track courses allow students to complete accredited high school courses, usually faster than the normal term. Where feasible, the course can be fitted to their own schedule. Fast Tracking does not mean taking short cuts.

The logistics of Fast Track studies is to cover all the material of a given course in a shorter time frame, using the following parameters:

• The program must meet the 110 hour requirement, specified by the Ontario Ministry of Education.
• There must be at least 10 hours of student - teacher one-on-one evaluation and planning time.
• The remaining 100 hours must reflect the balance of the Ministry mandated 110 hours per credit. They consist of the normal scheduled classes, coupled with hours spent with qualified tutors.

The FutureSkills' teachers’ set schedules for regularly monitoring and evaluating progress through quizzes, chapter tests, unit tests, projects, assignments and a final exam. These evaluations will be used towards the students’ final mark. Upon successful completion of each Fast Track course, the student will be awarded one credit.

References

External links

• FutureSkills High School
• FutureSkills TOEFL Center