A new report from the Fraser Institute shows a growing share of kindergarten-to-grade 12 students across Canada are shifting to independent schools. Data reveals that over the last two decades, the proportion of families choosing government-run public schools has dropped in every single province, with B.C. experiencing the sharpest decline.
Pacific Spirit School (PSS) is an independent learning community for elementary and high school students. Co-principal David Darling says they base their attraction on being small, where children can feel seen.
“The parents want their kids to feel safe and not invisible, where their child feels valued,” Darling said.
The school says focusing on an exploration-based learning model encourages students to stay curious, which is why many parents say they have found a safe haven there for their kids.
“It takes a big load off me,” said Kristin Hopkins, whose daughter is enrolled at PSS.
“My husband and I spent a lot of energy trying to school her ourselves. This school has given her a really safe place, and that is worth everything.”
Kyla Kinzel, the school’s vice-principal, says having smaller class sizes helps build strong relationships between the teachers and students.
“In having a child-honouring philosophy, the scale is important – about 15 kids and more than one teacher,” Kinzel said.
Study author Paige MacPherson, senior fellow of education with the Fraser Institute, says the drop in B.C.’s public-school enrolment could be due to a variety of factors.
“It could be signaling that there is dissatisfaction with their local government-run public school,” MacPherson said.
“These families are actually making the financial sacrifice to choose an independent school – whether that is declining PISA [Programme for International Student Assessment] scores, or the escalating violence – parents are attuned to these things.”
Some parents also point to the pace of learning as one of the reasons for choosing private over public.
“My son had a lot of trouble,” said parent Marcelo Mota.
“He learned something new every day and wasn’t able to absorb all the knowledge. It wasn’t an actual learning experience.”
Grade 11 student Oscar, who has been attending PSS since kindergarten, says he appreciates the small class sizes and the one-on-one interaction he receives from his teachers.
“In fact, that is why my parents chose this school when I was a wee little lad,” Oscar said.
“I was a neurodiverse kid and I needed a place where my needs were met.”
Yash, who is in Grade 9, says he loves the four-day school schedule and having Fridays off so he can explore his other interests.
“It’s a lot less stressful, and there is a lot less competition compared to other schools.”
Currently, 13.2 per cent of students in B.C. are now attending independent schools, the report says. This represents nearly one in every eight students.
