Parent Answers & Comments
George Briggs, Executive Director, CIS Ontario wrote:
There are a number of advantages to choosing a school that belongs to a professional association.
* Membership in an association, such as the Conference of Independent Schools of Ontario (CIS), requires schools to meet certain criteria. In order to be a member of CIS, a school must have an independent Board of Governors that provides oversight to the administration of the school. This leads to a high degree of accountability that may not be present in a singular private school.
* Membership usually requires schools to pay dues to the association. In CIS, these dues are used to offer professional development programmes for teachers and staff in our schools. Our member schools are therefore making a commitment to ongoing professional development which will lead to a high quality education for our students.
* In order to be a member of CIS, schools must offer an academic programme that prepares students for university. Students in our JK to 8 divisions are assumed to be on a university track as well.
* CIS operates one of the largest athletic associations in Ontario and is a member association of OFSSA. Students are provided with many opportunities to compete in athletics at a variety of levels. CIS also runs a music festival at Roy Thompson Hall, an annual drama festival and a dance festival. These wonderful opportunities for student participation are only open to CIS member schools and their students.
* in conclusion, the advantages of belonging to CIS an best be summarized by our mission statement. "CIS is an association of Ontario independent schools working together to support member schools in their missions to prepare students for the 21st century."
To learn more about George Briggs, visit
www.cisontario.ca
Sarah Rainsberger, Alternative University Admissions Enthusiast wrote:
It doesn't matter whether the teachers themselves are in good standing with the Ontario College of Teachers, the school itself must be accredited in order to offer credits toward the OSSD. Obviously, the school can not provide your son with the OSSD itself, either.
Fortunately, there are several ways to apply to post secondary education with out a high school diploma. These methods are most often employed by homeschooled students, but they really are intended for any student without an OSSD upon application to a university.
So, if you have a private school that you really like, and decide that it's worth staying in the school even if it means applying to university non-traditionally, then you don't have to worry about the accreditation.
And certainly, you don't have to worry about it now while he's only in Grade 4. The K-8 system is not credit based, and therefore he's missing nothing by not being at an accredited school up to and including Grade 8. You may find that it's desirable to switch into an accredited school for Grade 9, or you may decide that applying as a non-OSSD holding student isn't that big a deal.
For more information about applying to a Canadian (especially Ontario) university without an OSSD, you can visit: http://www.rainsberger.ca/blog/university-admissions/7-ways-to-get-into-university-without-a-high-school-diploma/
Elke Ranjbar wrote:
Can a school partner with a foreign learning institution, issue their diploma a have it accepted at a Canadian University?
