For Grade 10 student, Jonah Jenkins, competing with the Alberta Moguls Team often takes him far from home, leaving him little time to study or attend class.
Fortunately for him, The Learning Connection, a publicly funded alternative education service, recently set up shop in Jasper, offering students in unique circumstances the flexibility to complete their high school education on their own terms.
“[Training] is really intensive so there isn’t a whole lot of time for school,” said Jenkins, explaining that he will be training in Whistler and Switzerland this summer.
“Because I have so many spares I only take two classes with the school and then I do English here,” he said of The Learning Connection.
For the Jenkins family, the alternative school has allowed Jonah to condense his course load so he can focus more of his attention on skiing.
“It’s made a world of difference,” said Cameron Jenkins, Jonah’s father.
“Now that he is going to be skiing and very, very focused for the next couple of years, traditional school just doesn’t fit.”
“That being said, the high school here is awesome,” said Diane Jenkins, Jonah’s mother, acknowledging that it’s important to support the local school.
“They work really hard to offer as much as they can, but there is the odd student who is sick, or took a holiday and they have some catching up to do, so it’s nice to have the centre here. It’s another tool for success.”
The Jasper Learning Connection is the fifth location to open in the Grande Yellowhead Public School Division. Prior to it opening last month, students such as Jenkins, had to travel to Hinton for the same services.
“The Learning Connections are outreach schools that are set up in all of our communities to help students who, for whatever reason, find their educational needs aren’t met in the traditional environment,” said Stuart Graham, principal of The Learning Connection.
“For example, some kids might have a lifestyle, or sporting events, or a job, that means that they have trouble attending a regular high school. Every situation is a bit different.”
Despite the warm welcome it has received from parents and students, not everyone is happy.
“To be honest we would prefer students don’t attend The Learning Connection,” said Mark Crozier, principal of Jasper Junior/Senior High School.
“The government funds schools based on the number of students that attend classes, so if mainstream students are electing to do this on their own it actually hurts us,” he said, suggesting that it could lead to unforeseen consequences, such as split grades if numbers drop too low.
“My hope for The Learning Connection is that it fills the unique need for students who need it, but mainstream students still attend our school.”
Currently the Jasper location, in the basement of the Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce, helps six students, four of whom previously commuted to Hinton.
“I think it’s a good thing for students to have a choice in how they get their education,” said Krissten Stockfish, The Jasper Learning Connection teacher, adding that she still believes a blend between what she offers and what traditional schools offer is the best scenario.
“I’ve had a couple of students, one of which is in Grade 9, who can’t start yet, who are motivated, know what they want to do and they just want to get through things quicker.”
Because of the low number of students at the Jasper location, it is only open Tuesday to Thursday and for students who are in Grades 10 and up. It is also open to adults who may be looking to improve their high school marks or earn additional credits, however it will cost them $250 per course.
According to Graham, about 300 students are enrolled across the division, with two thirds of those students enrolled full-time in Hinton and Edson.
“We’re a small, but significant player on the landscape,” he said.
Paul Clarke
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