B.C. changing online education model

The Province of B.C is changing the way online instruction is delivered to students beginning with the 2022-23 school year.

SD58 Nicola Similkameen Assistant Superintendent Jameel Aziz addressed how the local district is applying to be a new hub location with SCIDES.

“Currently any school district that wants to have an online school has the ability to do so,” said Aziz. “The Province is moving to what it’s calling provincial online service providers (POSP). We don’t know how many will be approved as POSP, we think three or four. SCIDES, the online school for SD58 has submitted an application to be one of those PSOPs.”

The District expects to receive a response from government before the end of February.

“For schools not selected, they have to start making plans for closing down their systems. Every district is still allowed to provide online service to their own students but not students outside of their own district,” added Aziz.

Students currently on the register at SCIDES would have to complete their courses by April 2023 if the school is not chosen by the province.