OFFSHORE SCHOOL BC PROGRAMSMinistry of Education
April 2010
CERTIFICATION RATIONALE
Authentic BC program
Teacher professional development/exchange
Cultural and educational exchanges
International student opportunities/exchanges
Long-term economic development/opportunities
CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Approval of appropriate local education authorities
All courses taught in English
Principal and teachers are BC certified
Instructional time and course learning outcomes
Sufficient courses to enable students to graduate from Grade 12
Graduation program provincial examinations
British Columbia Agent
Consultant/service provider
PROCEDURAL STEPS
Application
Selected Applicant
Candidate Status (informal visit/review)
Certification Status (formal inspection team)
Maintaining certification status
CONSULTANT/SERVICE PROVIDER
(School district company, independent school or
BC educator)
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION(Inspector of Independent Schools)
AUTHORITY OPERATING ANOFFSHORE SCHOOL
(BRITISH COLUMBIA PROGRAM)
BC AGENT – BC Educator
KEY PLAYERS
AUTHORITY/OFFSHORE SCHOOL’S ROLE
Establish and operate an English program that meets BC’s requirements
Fulfill Agreement requirements established in BC
Provide for annual on-sight inspections by BC’s Ministry of Education
Share requested information with BC Ministry of Education
Pay all BC program and inspection fees
MINISTRY’S ROLE
The Ministry’s role is to:
Establish certification requirements
Conduct inspections
Certify the BC educational program
Administer Graduation Program provincial exams
Issue transcripts and diplomas to graduates
May include such items as:
Administrative consultation/guidance
Policy development
Curriculum resources and development
Recommendations and/or purchases of educational resources
Recruitment of British Columbia-certified principal and teachers
Completion of Ministry of Education documents
Professional development
BC AGENT’S AND CONSULTANT/SERVICEPROVIDER’S ROLE
BC Agent and Consultant/Service Provider
Contract between offshore school and BC Agent and consultant/service provider
Offshore School British Columbia Program Candidate and Certification Status Agreements
An Agreement between the BC Ministry of Education and the Offshore School Authority.
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/offshore_schools/cert_status_info/
BC CERTIFIED PROGRAM FEES
$200 one time per student fee at Kindergarten to Grade 9
$350 one time per student fee at Grade 10, 11 or 12
$50 fee for each additional Grade 12 examination written in addition to English 12
$2,500 Candidate Status application fee
$3,500 Certification Status application fee
Pre-payment of all on-site inspection team costs (professional fees, air, food, lodging, transportation, etc.)
ISSUANCE OF STUDY PERMITS TO CANADABritish Columbia and Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) signed an Agreement for Canada-British Columbia Cooperation on Immigration on April 5, 2004
The Agreement includes the facilitation of timely issuance of study permits (student visas) to Canada for graduates from BC-certified programs at Offshore Schools
Three national Memoranda of Understanding of educational cooperation have been signed between:
the Premier of British Columbia and the National Minister of Education, the People’s Republic of China, in November 2003
the Deputy Minister of Education with the Ministry of Education for the Arab Republic of Egypt in March 2006, and
the Deputy Minister of Education with the Ministry of Education of the Kingdom of Thailand in September 2006.
Minister of Education for the Province of Liaoning, PRC 27-Apr-98
Ministry of Education, Beijing , PRC 06-Nov-03
Beijing Municipal Education Commission, PRC 15-Mar-04
Shanxi Education Bureau, PRC 16-Mar-04
Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education, PRC 17-Mar-04
The Minister of Education of the Arab Republic of Egypt 13-Mar-06
The Ministry of Education of the Kingdom of Thailand 11-Sept-06
Wuhan Education Bureau, Hubei Province, PRC 19-Mar-07
Wenzhou Education Bureau, PRC 22-Mar-07
Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education, PRC 22-Mar-07
Shanghai Xuhui Education Bureau, PRC 07-Mar-08
Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, Republic of Korea 20-May-08
Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, Republic of Korea 20-May-08
Tianjin, PRC 22-May-08
Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban) 23-May-08
Department of Education Guangdong, PRC 06-Nov-08
Chongqing Education Commission, PRC 07-Nov-08
Education Department of Shandong, PRC 09-Nov-08
Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Office of Education 11-Nov-08
Jeollabuk-do Province Government, Republic of Korea 17-Dec-08
Yunnan Provincial Department of Education, PRC 24-Feb-09
Shanghai Jiading District Education Bureau 20-Mar-2009
22 MOUs signed with the Province
For more details, visit our website at:
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/offshore_schools
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