“It's wonderfully constructed,” says Sugata Mitra. “It's just that we don't need it anymore.” Mitra is a professor of educational technology at Newcastle University, best known for his "Hole in the Wall" experiment, which he discussed in a wildly popular TED talk. He was addressing an idea that comes up from time to time, that education is broken and needs fixing. What critics respond to are the outcomes, and lowering math scores is usually high on the list.
Mitra’s point is that it isn’t broken, but rather that we’re using an old model, one that was developed to train students for roles in a specific time and place, yet expecting results in keeping with modernity. What we think of as a traditional form of instruction—desks in rows, chalk and talk—was designed to meet the requirements of what he describes as a “global computer made up of people” that grew out of the age of Empire. “In order to have that machine running,” he says, “you need lots and lots of people … [and] they must know three things: They must have good handwriting, because the data is handwritten; they must be able to read; and they must be able to do multiplication, division, addition and subtraction in their head.” It would produce what Sean McDougall calls “obedient specialists: adults who could work in factories, assembling components, or as domestic servants, not people who needed to think for themselves.”
That’s not our world of course, though the legacy remains with us, more or less. “In the old days,” says Elie Newman of his own experience in elementary and high school, “there were a bunch of fixed desks with a bunch of pipes coming out of them.” That was the science lab. There was a teacher up at the front, and half of the equipment in the desks you never used. There was a map of the world pinned to the wall, the alphabet written out on ruled lines. "That’s the way we all went to school.”
That we expect it to deliver the kinds of skills that learners need to have today is akin, to borrow a phrase from Elton John, to "trying to drink whiskey from a bottle of wine." We need certain results, namely people who can think for themselves, yet we aren't working with tools that were developed to deliver them. Which begs a few very good questions: If you were to build a school for the needs of today, what would it look like? What would it include? What would you borrow from the past? What would you innovate?
Those are the questions that animate much of Elie Newman's work as principal architect of BNKC in Toronto. The answer, perhaps more than anything else, is embodied in the Transformation Project at The Bishop Strachan School (BSS) completed in 2017. “We’ve worked for BSS over the years,” says Newman. “Two major projects and a couple minor ones. And both times they were looking for similar things.” Often the object was to allow a bit of space. “Their junior school was in very cramped quarters. They were constrained within enclosed walls.” But other things crept in, too, such as developing more flexible uses of spaces, ones that would provide opportunities for more hands-on groups, more differentiated learning, and IT infrastructure. Essentially, “all those kinds of things that go into modern education as opposed to education back in 1926” when the main building on the BSS campus was completed. The Transformation Project would bring that building into a new age. It was the largest project yet, certainly the boldest, and conducted to tackle the big questions head on. Rather than small fixes, it would overhaul the entire concept of what a teaching environment can be.
The result, as you might expect, is one that learners from even half a century ago would have trouble recognizing as a school. All the key spaces are filled with natural light, with glass walls creating a porous interface between them. Where the divisions between programs were once stark—the music room was once on one floor, and the art and science labs on others—all are now intentionally cheek by jowl to allow daily interaction. “You’re not confined to a little box,” says one student, “but can see how your work connects with other things.” A geometry class, for example, can discover the mathematical principle at the heart of snowflake, and then code a 3D printer to build one. There are also ample opportunities for children to make their thinking visible. Catherine Hant, principal of the Junior School at BSS says, “we feel strongly that the learning of children, no matter what the age, [be] transparent to the other kids in the building." There's method there, from simply having a voice, to mutual inspiration. Says Angela Terpstra, head of school at BSS, “hopefully, when younger students walk by they’ll think, ‘that is so cool, how do they do that?’ or ‘I can’t wait till I do that’, asking questions that may spark new interests." By and large, that's exactly what they do.
These are attractive projects—Newman has done similar work at Royal St. Georges and St. Andrews College, the Northmount School. They look good, with lots of space and natural light. And, yes, it’s nice to have nice spaces to work and learn within. But it’s about more than that. It’s about creating new ways to think about ourselves, and to explore our world. More prosaically, it’s about graduating people who have the skills they’ll need to work efficiently in the world as it is today: creativity, collaboration, communication, and innovation.
The design of a school, believes Newman, should encourage what some might think of as messy thinking. “It’s not that you always have to be in group sessions or small sessions. There are different ways of doing it. What you want is that the finishes shouldn’t feel precious. Not every room should look the same. With the flexibility to create different types of groupings. Or have groups of kids leave, and go off and work on a problem where the teachers can see them in a little niche, or collaboration spaces." Key is a sense of belonging. "You make it clear to the people who are using it, look, this is for you to own, this is for you to experiment with.” These aren't spaces where students worry that someone will yell at them for, say, writing on the walls or windows. In fact, more often than not, the materials Newman chooses are literally amenable to even that. These aren’t spaces to be venerated, but to be used.
“We look at it as the bones for a learning style,” says Newman. In many ways its antecedent lies in what Jonas Salk created at MIT, now known as the Salk Institute. Salk called it a “crucible of creativity,” an expression of his belief that “most of the exciting work in science occurs at the boundaries between disciplines.” Salk wanted to create an environment in which scientists could “explore the wider implications of their discoveries for the future of humanity.”
Salk thought big thoughts, to be sure, though he was right, not just for the PhD candidates thinking of changing the future of humanity, but for everyone: we think and learn best at the boundary between disciplines, where thinking is more fluid, and less doctrinaire. Salk knew, too, that we learn as much from those next to us as from those standing at the front of the room.
“When I go in today what really gives me pleasure is to see those rooms being used, even in ways that I didn’t imagine." The fact that Newman can't imagine the extent of the uses of the rooms is, of course, precisely the point. They aren't programmed, but instead about possibility. They are spaces designed, as with the Salk lab at MIT, to allow outcomes to exceed expectations, and to do so in unexpected, unanticipated ways.
While the Transformation Project is precisely that—a large-scale transformation—Newman notes that it doesn’t take a complete overhaul to adapt spaces to new ways of learning and interacting. “There are lots of schools that have those old fashioned rooms that have been reconfigured in minor ways, and its done beautifully.” Still, he sees the BSS project as a proof of the concept, and perhaps also as the culmination of much of the work that he’s been doing in the education space: to bring disciplines together, allowing them to intersect naturally by virtue of proximity; to empower the students at the centre of the teaching environment, helping them to develop the skills that they’ll need today, as well as when they enter post-secondary and professional life; to provide spaces that aren't precious, and as such to allow for the augmentation of innate curiosities, to fuel interests and aspirations. As authors Georgia Heard and Jennifer McDonough have written, “We need to think about creating classroom environments that give children the opportunity for wonder, mystery and discovery; an environment that speaks to young children’s inherent curiosity and innate yearning for exploration is a classroom where children are passionate about learning and love school.” To walk through BSS on a busy day, it's clear that Newman has done exactly that.
•
The progressive Kindergarten program at Hudson College [Read more]
Lakefield, Ontario — Focussed on Community First, Outdoors Every Day, and Authentic Learning, LCS offers a world-class, individualized, day/boarding program (Grades 9 -12) designed for students to be leaders who care, connect and contribute. View School Profile.
Grades:
9 to 12 (Coed)
Type:
Liberal Arts
Tuition:
$35,700 to $75,400
Living:
Boarding/Day
Enrollment:
425
Avg. Class:
15
|
Toronto, Ontario — Havergal has been preparing young women to make a difference since 1894 through its innovative curriculum and future-ready programming with a focus on wellness and student agency. View School Profile.
Grades:
JK to 12 (Girls)
Type:
Liberal Arts
Tuition:
$36,950 to $68,540
Living:
Boarding/Day
Enrollment:
1000
Avg. Class:
18 to 22
|
Toronto, Ontario — Branksome Hall is Toronto’s only all-girls, all-years International Baccalaureate (IB) World School developing the leaders of tomorrow through the nurturing of curiosity and critical thinking at every age. View School Profile.
Grades:
JK to 12 (Girls)
Type:
Liberal Arts, International Baccalaureate
Tuition:
$35,700 to $72,500
Living:
Boarding/Day
Enrollment:
954
Avg. Class:
12 to 22
|
Rosseau, Ontario — Through extraordinary learning opportunities rooted in meaningful outdoor education experiences in our unique natural environment, RLC graduates develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to take on any challenge. View School Profile.
Grades:
6 to 12 (Coed)
Type:
Progressive
Tuition:
$11,350 to $66,300
Living:
Day/Boarding
Enrollment:
120
Avg. Class:
15 to 18
|
Port Hope, Ontario — At TCS, an excellent education means students remain open to learning throughout life and doing something positive with what they have learned. View School Profile.
Grades:
5 to 12 (Coed)
Type:
Traditional
Tuition:
$28,000 to $77,500
Living:
Boarding/Day
Enrollment:
570
Avg. Class:
12 to 16
|
Toronto, Ontario — Bond Academy is a private, co-educational, non-denominational independent school with students from Montessori Casa to Grade 12. Our educational process is Beyond the Books! Education as it should be. View School Profile.
Grades:
PS to 12 (Coed)
Type:
Liberal Arts
Tuition:
$7,000 to $16,000
Living:
Boarding/Day
Enrollment:
550
Avg. Class:
10 to 15
|
Oakville, Ontario — Appleby College in Oakville is recognized globally as one of Canada's leading independent schools. Breadth, excellence, innovation and caring are the characteristics that define the essence of the Appleby experience. View School Profile.
Grades:
7 to 12 (Coed)
Type:
Liberal Arts
Tuition:
$41,030 to $81,870
Living:
Boarding/Day
Enrollment:
785
Avg. Class:
12 to 16
|
Waterloo Region (Breslau), Ontario — SJK offers an enriched environment of exploration and experiential learning. Through its IB curriculum, SJK provides exciting experiences and guides students to discover their talents and passions. Go beyond at SJK. View School Profile.
Grades:
JK to 12 (Coed)
Type:
Progressive, International Baccalaureate
Tuition:
$18,980 to $71,620
Living:
Day/Boarding
Enrollment:
425
Avg. Class:
10 to 18
|
Toronto, Ontario — Located in the heart of Toronto, UCC provides transformational learning experiences in an exceptional day and boarding environment. Our IB graduates are highly regarded by top universities around the world. View School Profile.
Grades:
SK to 12 (Boys)
Type:
Liberal Arts, International Baccalaureate
Tuition:
$36,750 to $71,875
Living:
Day/Boarding
Enrollment:
1200
Avg. Class:
20 to 25
|
|
featured
RCS’s purpose is to unleash the potential in each student and set them on the path for a successful life. We provide rigorous academics with individual attention in a diverse, energizing, and caring environment.
|
|
featured
We are a therapeutic boarding school for Gr. 1-12 students requiring individualized academic, clinical, and behaviour-management solutions in small class sizes and professional home stay or boarding environments
|
|
featured
The Bishop Strachan School is a leading independent JK-Grade 12 day & boarding school for girls. Students build the academic skills to thrive at university and beyond. Over $2 million available in financial assistance.
|
|
featured
SPIRE ACADEMY is an international, high school and post graduate sports performance training and education academy, located within a world class event and wellness complex.
|
|
featured
Our belief is “Forward Learning. Transforming People”. We focus on developing 21st century learning skills through collaborative discussions and inquiry-based thinking to prepare students with global competencies.
|
|
featured
Stratford, Ontario, Private Secondary School dedicated to inspiring students to achieve their individual potential through academic excellence while fostering a spirit of service to society.
|
|
featured
Robert Land Academy, established in 1978, is a private military-inspired boarding school (Gr 5-12) helping boys to experience validation, realize their potential and gain admission to post-secondary programs.
|
|
featured
Located in the heart of Toronto, McDonald International Academy offers programs for grades 9 to 12 . Our average class size is 10 to 20 students.
|
|
featured
St. Margaret's School offers inter-disciplinary and experiential learning from JK3 to Grade 12. Confidence, leadership and academic rigor lead to student success.
|
|
featured
Independent Kindergarten to Grade 12 boarding and day school in Victoria, BC, Canada focusing on outstanding preparation for life. Find out how a SMUS education can benefit your family.
|
|
featured
At Albert College, every student is an 'A' student. From Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 our students experience all 5 of the Albert 'A’ s; Academics, Arts, Athletics, Active Citizenship and Adventure programming.
|
|
featured
An English school in a French milieu, Stanstead College is located on the Quebec-Vermont border, offering rigorous university-prep, Grades 7 to 12, in a secure, family-focused learning environment.
|
Bishop's College School is an English boarding and day school for students in grades 7 through 12. Small in size and culturally diverse, BCS is an IB World School offering the IB DP and course certificates.
|
Niagara Christian Collegiate offers both middle school and secondary school programs from Grades 6-12. Graduating students achieve top university placements around the world. We accept both day and boarding students.
|
Brookes Westshore, an IB World School on beautiful Vancouver Island, BC, offers grades 4 to 12 and both day and boarding programmes, with an average class size of 15 students.
|
SJR is the world’s leading school in Debating and Public Speaking. It has produced 18 Rhodes scholars and 3 math olympiads. 98% of SJR graduates are accepted to their first choice university program.
|
Ridley College is an acclaimed co-educational IB boarding and day school that prepares meaningful and flourishing lives by teaching the habits of mind, body, and spirit, and the values needed to lead in a global society.
|
Trafalgar Castle offers a close-knit, academically challenging environment where girls feel a strong sense of belonging and discover their unique talents and interests.
|
Notre Dame is a private, independent co-educational high school with an exceptional educational & boarding experience with a balance of strong academic, athletic and spiritual growth in a safe & caring prairie community.
|
Founded in 1912, Montverde Academy is an elite college preparatory school for students in grades Pre-K3 through post-graduate studies with a distinct student population from over 80 countries worldwide.
|
Dewey’s educational goals follow the philosophies of John Dewey, preparing students through “student-centred learning" and "learning by doing", while emphasizing the cultivation of the "three New Liberal Arts".
|
Collège Bourget is a day & boarding school situated between Montreal & Ottawa. The school offers Quebec's french program from Grade 7 till Grade 11 and english program from Grade 10 till Grade 12.
|
JK- 12/IB/AP , inter-faith/R.C.co-ed day, and boarding located in Windsor, ON
Family of Schools includes Nursery, Elementary and Secondary Schools, athletic facilities, performing arts wing (music and dance studios).
|
Pickering College's fully-integrated Global Leadership Program (JK to Grade 12) inspires students to become agents of courageous, ethical and positive change with the confidence, knowledge and skills to shape the future.
|
Faith is at the center of all we do at MCI- from the court, to the stage, to the classroom. We work to provide a safe space for students to ask questions, dig deeper, grow into who God is calling them to be.
|
Since 1964, SSS Rome has provided International Boarding and Day Students with a culturally inspiring and rigorous academic IB education in the heart of Ancient Rome.
|
Queen Margaret's School is a gender inclusive independent day/boarding university preparatory school in Duncan, BC that focuses on preparing young trailblazers...no two journeys are the same.
|
With a tradition dating back to 1899, St. Andrew's remains the single largest all-boys boarding school in Canada. Our 126-acre campus provides our students with an ideal setting for learning and growth.
|
Markham, Ontario; IB School; OSSD; OSSD online credit course; NOIC ACADEMY’s annual university enrolment rate is 100% and more than 85% of graduates are admitted by University of Toronto.
|
North Star Academy Laval is the only private English high school in Laval. We offer small classroom sizes for individualized attention. We teach not only for school but for life! Certificate of eligibility not required.
|
MLWS-KPU offers a truly unique high school experience. Students receive the support and community of small high school classes along with the academic opportunities of learning within world-class university facilities.
|
RJC is a Grades 10-12 boarding school accredited by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education. RJC is student and community-focused all while offering excellent academics and exceptional athletic and fine arts programs.
|
Beginning in Grade 8, our unique Shawnigan journey purposefully guides students through a distinct, unparalleled and bold educational experience on our stunning waterfront campus on Canada’s beautiful West Coast.
|
Benefitting from its safe and beautiful Nova Scotia location, King's-Edgehill facilitates the opportunity for every student to Be More – in the classroom, on the sports fields, on stage, in the community and beyond.
|
A Canadian Private Secondary Boarding school, located in the heart of London, Ontario. LIA is authorized to grant the Ontario Secondary School Diploma and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.
|
Bodwell High School in North Vancouver is a boarding school that enrolls 650 students. Tuition starts at $21,500. We provide Education for a Changing World. The school's motto is "Strength in Diversity."
|
In a welcoming environment , HFAS assists our exceptional learners to reach their potential and to succeed. We focus on personal responsibility, initiative, independence, organization, self-regulation and time management
|
Our intercultural environment offers an individualized approach to learning and highly differentiated instruction, with emphasis on STEM+A & AP courses. Our students enjoy a dynamic academic & residential life program.
|
This traditional private school in Ottawa, Ontario offers Grades 4 to 12 with 100 boarding and 600 day school students. Tuition is from $30,585 to $71,720.
|
Since 1861, The Sacred Heart School of Montreal, the city’s only all-girls English Catholic high school, has been preparing girls to change the world. We offer grades 7 to 12, day school and boarding.
|
Heuristic & autodidactic, inspired by Sudbury & democratic models. Students are self-directed, holistically empowered. Voluntary attendance, year-round calendar, agency, & consent inspire free learning.
|
Our unique, daily Advisor Program ensures every student is surrounded by a strong network of highly qualified, dedicated faculty and staff whose mission is to provide academic, emotional, and social guidance and support.
|
Since 2002, J. Addison has provided a stimulating education for students. Located at the corner of Woodbine and Valleywood Drive in Markham, ON, Canada, you will find our state-of-the-art 58,000 sq. ft. facility.
|
GNS is an independent JK-12 International Baccalaureate boarding and day school in Victoria, BC, that empowers and supports each of our students to do their best through truth and courage in learning and in life.
|
Established in 1991, Alberta Ballet School is recognized as one of Canada’s leading professional dance schools. with an annual enrollment of approximately 100 local, national and international students.
|
Nile Academy offers small class sizes and a low student-to-teacher ratio, while also following the Ontario Curriculum, ensuring our students are well prepared for the rest of their educational pursuits here in Canada.
|
Columbia International College is Canada’s largest private boarding school, offering Grade 9 to 12 programs.
#1 in scholarships awarded by universities.
The University of Toronto's official Global Partner School.
|
Grade 9-12 students are encouraged to be confident servant-leaders. Student diversity provides a global perspective of life and faith. Great Lakes' graduates are accepted by colleges and universities of their choice.
|
Alpine Academy isn't just a school, it is an experience that prepares young women for life beyond our campus. Students learn to engage in not only academics, but also family, community, and interpersonal relationships.
|
At Haven, we equip our students with critical thinking skills, a global perspective, and a respect for core values of honesty, loyalty, perseverance, and compassion.
|
Trillium School is a private school that offers programs from pre-school to grade twelve in Markham with Montessori-based kindergarten.
|
STEAM and experiential learning are at the heart of our program, making learning at BH both dynamic and meaningful. With a focus on post-secondary guidance and internship, BH girls graduate with purpose.
|
Luther College High School values excellence in teaching and cares for our students as individuals in our tight-knit community. Our focus in on the whole student - social, emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual.
|
Merrick Preparatory offers grades 9-12 and a University Qualification Year to students preparing for successful admission to degree programs in the world's top universities, in a safe and secure family environment.
|
At Kells, flexibility is the key. We develop programs allowing students to work within their comfort zone, which may be above, below or at grade level. The result is students who outperform even their own expectations.
|
Bronte College is a private International Baccalaureate (IB) World School offering Grades 9 to 12 for day and boarding students. Our academic programming has attracted students from over 30 countries.
|
Brentwood is a leading university prep school that brings to life student choice through its bold tripartite program. We are a true boarding school, not merely a school with boarding, and the ocean is our playground.
|
UNISUS was founded by the leaders of the top Private Schools in BC. Based on IB Education/Innovation/Technology, Entrepreneurship/ Outdoor Education. Boarding, Athletics and Global Partnerships/Opportunities.
|
Reputed Diverse Traditional Day School. 100% of students graduate and move on to excel in their Post Secondary Education and life.
Extremely positive, caring, and knowledgeable teaching staff.
|
Day schools vs. boarding schools
Comparing day and boarding schools (October 17, 2019)
Tips on schools, scholarships and studying abroad
(June 25, 2019)
Education without borders
International boarding school checklist (May 23, 2019)
Coed boarding schools
Find the top private coed boarding schools (May 15, 2019)
