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