Last week, schools throughout the region held various activities and celebrations to mark Education Week in the province. Education comes in many forms in Alberta, from public to private from home schooling to alternative education programs.
Over the past decade, school districts have worked hard in the region to address the needs of local students, including developing alternate programs for students to complete their high-school education outside of the traditional school settings.
This option has also allowed students to finish Grade 12 while also holding town full or part-time jobs. Programs aimed at religious-based studies or specific to cultural needs have also been developed in the region to accommodate students who might otherwise be slipping through the cracks.
Parents in our region are truly fortunate to have so many options for schooling their children.
Education is a lifelong pursuit and children who learn to love learning will be lifelong learners. Education is the key to improving quality of life. The more options a student has for completing their high-school education, the more likely they are to do so.
Education Week is a week of celebration, the opportunity to celebrate not only what is happening in our local classrooms but the opportunities that exist for education to expand outside the traditional classroom.
Teachers, administrators and parents who understand the value of giving students a variety of ways and means to learn should also be celebrated.
Not everyone learns at the same pace or deals with the traditional school setting the same way. When schools can accommodate these difference in learners, it is our society in general that will benefit. Students who can find success in the classroom will also find success in the world of further education, career and family.