Nick Chignall, Kindergarten Vice Principal at the International School of Macao discusses Alberta’s Early Learning and Care Curriculum Framework. Flight is a curriculum framework that guides early learning and childcare educators in their work to support young children (ages 0 – before 6 years). https://www.tis.edu.mo/vision/alberta-at-the-forefront-of-early-childhood-education/
International schools teaching the Alberta curriculum can expect some upcoming changes to arts education. The Kindergarten to Grade 4 arts program will be the first curricula to change, with Grades 5 to 8 to follow in the next couple of years, and Grades 9 to 12 after that.
The new K to 4 arts curriculum will be implemented in 2019. Shifts in the program will include:
Shelly Smith-Dale, Arts Coordinator at The International School of Macao. Do you know what the Alberta arts curriculum at TIS encompasses?
We are currently seeking highly talented teachers for positions in our member schools; The International School of Macao (TIS) https://www.tis.edu.mo/employment/opportunities/ Canadian International School of Phnom Penh (CISP) https://www.cisp.edu.kh/employment/ and Canadian School of Guangzhou (CISGZ) http://cisgz.com/join-cis/employment/
Visit our employment network for current opportunities and further information.
It’s a great time to be a Canadian in 2018. Only a few short months ago, Narcity reported that Canadians held the fifth most powerful passport in the world. But now, we can confirm that Canada has moved up the ranks! Canadian travellers officially hold a passport that ranks among the third most powerful in the world.
Source: Girn, J. 2018. The Canadian Passport Is Ranked Among The Most Powerful In The World . [ONLINE] Available at:https://www.narcity.com/news/the-canadian-passport-was-just-ranked-the-3rd-most-powerful-in-the-world?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=jc_1daycampaign
As one goes through the process of planning the possible routes that they can take for the future, college remains an essential yet baffling piece in the puzzle. Some plan their college options from their youth; they set their eyes on a specific list of colleges that they persevere to get into. However, for others, the reality of embarking on a whole new stage of life is intimidating. These people must continually keep their options open and explore the opportunities that a country might have in store for them.
Applying to Canadian universities can be a viable option for students, and it definitely is for many of the seniors in ISM. There can be a multitude of reasons why one chooses to apply to college in Canada.
First and foremost, one reason may be the unique atmosphere that the country possesses. Senior Sam M. says, “Canada is an amazing place…. I’ve been to Vancouver and Toronto a lot over the past few years and I love the environment, so I would enjoy 4 years there.”
In addition, many cite the less severe standardized test and application requirements for Canadian universities (compared to other Western universities) as another reason. “Like I said, the number of requirements [is the difference],” Sam further states. “Nothing beats Canada in that it has the least amount of essays and testing.”
Senior Kim H. adds, “the main difference between Canadian applications and, for example, American applications are that for Canada, standardized testing like ACTs or SATs are not required. That was actually one of the things that really stood out to me during applications, because it makes my life so much easier. Also with other countries like the UK, there are tests, aside from standardized testing, that you’d have to take to get in.”
“Also, the country’s universities offer distinct transition opportunities from student life to adulthood. Canadian colleges offer co-op programs, which are basically internship programs that are integrated with your university education,” Kim says. “A lot of jobs today are looking for more experience and co-op ticks that box.”
Now, according to the Canadian government, there are a few steps that must be fulfilled before one can apply to university in Canada and reap its many benefits. Firstly, students should find out what is required in specific universities. This can be done through the EduCanada website (http://www.educanada.ca/index.aspx?lang=eng) established by the government. Second, the government also states the specific requirements that international students must satisfy. Third, it also recommends that students understand when to apply. For some universities, they abide by the “rolling-admission” process. Other, more competitive, universities recommend that the application be sent eight months in advance of the expected start date. Finally, one must settle the financial requirements for submitting the application.
As this may be a complicated process for many students who have no experience with the country’s application process or have done little research in this area, it is highly recommended that they attend the Canadian Application workshop that will be happening on October 15 from 3:00 pm-4:00 pm in the AMR.
Source:
Razel, S. 2018. Canadian College Apps. [ONLINE] Available at: https://bambootelegraph.com/2018/10/14/canadian-college-apps/.
October 19, 2018
Earlier this week, the Trump administration moved to impose fixed time limits on student visas, making Canada an even more attractive destination for students from abroad.
When Surya Sivakumar decided to pursue a graduate degree in engineering outside India, Canada was his first choice. Even before the new restrictions, the United States had become less welcoming to foreign students, as had Britain, and he’d read reports of racial intolerance in Australia.
But “in Canada, that’s not an issue,” he says, and there are better-paying job opportunities here than in India. After two months at the University of Ottawa, Mr. Sivakumar doesn’t regret his choice for a minute. Except for one thing.
“The stores close too early here,” he said in an interview. “In India, everything is open at night.”
Mr. Sivakumar is part of a massive shift under way in Canada’s education and immigration systems. More than 500,000 international students are expected to study in Canada this year, in primary schools through to universities, more than four times as many as were here in 2000.
“The increase is a huge success for international education in Canada,” said Larissa Bezo, interim head of the Canadian Bureau for International Education.
Because of rule changes introduced by both Conservative and Liberal governments, 40 per cent of all economic-class immigrants accepted by the federal government are now international students who have graduated and who want to stay in Canada.
“International students are well-placed to integrate into Canadian society,” Ms. Bezo observed. “They are already familiar with Canada, they speak one or both official languages, and they have networks both in Canada and abroad.”
Plus they’re young − payers of taxes rather than consumers of government services.
There are many reasons why Canada has become such a desirable destination for international students. For one thing, tuition levels are reasonable, compared with the competition − especially these days, thanks to the relatively low value of the Canadian dollar.
It also helps that the competition is shooting itself in the foot. Enrollment of new foreign students in American universities fell by 7 per cent in 2017, according to one report, thanks in part to stricter conditions imposed by the Trump administration. And with the imposition of time limits, enrollment could decline even more.
International student enrollment flatlined in Britain after the government imposed new rules limiting a student’s right to work after graduation. And the confusion over Brexit makes studying in Britain an uncertain prospect.
Australia is even more aggressive at recruiting new students than Canada. enrollments increased from just over 300,000 five years ago to more than 540,000 this year, though some students worry about stories of racial intolerance in Australia. A series of assaults led to a protest by the Indian government in 2009.
Canada’s international student program offers powerful incentives. Under Canadian rules, students can work part-time while studying; they automatically qualify for a work permit of up to three years upon graduating; and they are given preferred status if they apply to become permanent residents.
Nayara Schmitz, who is also a graduate student in engineering at U of O, doesn’t know yet whether she will return to Brazil. “I’d like to, but I’m not sure yet,” she said. When she first arrived at University of Ottawa from Rio de Janeiro, “I was, like, ‘I’m staying here forever.’ But now I’m feeling a little homesick.” She will reassess after graduation, and the experience of an Ottawa winter.
Foreign students “look to Canada because of our reputation of being a multicultural society, as well as being a country that is open and receptive to immigration,” said Kareem El-Assal, a senior researcher at the Conference Board of Canada.
China is the largest source country, accounting for about three out of 10 international students, followed by India, which accounts for one in four.
Some critics worry that international students crowd out domestic applicants. But a 2017 U.S. study revealed that the opposite is true.
“Overall, foreign students appear to increase domestic enrollment,” wrote Kevin Shih in the Journal of Public Economics. The high tuition paid by foreign students subsidizes additional space for domestic students, the report found.
Because of Canada’s low fertility rate, international students are needed to prevent institutions from cutting programs or even closing their doors. In Ontario, for example, more than 100,000 student spaces disappeared from the public-education system between 1998 and 2016.
Foreign students have become an increasingly important part of the economy, contributing $15.5-billion and 170,000 jobs to Canada’s GDP in 2017, through tuition and accommodation and Red Bull.
“There’s a tremendously positive economic impact,” Mr. El-Assal said.
With parts of the developing world becoming increasingly affluent and well-educated, the number of international students looking for a place to study is expected to double to 10 million over the next decade.
If Canada holds onto its share, that could mean a million foreign students in Canadian schools. Mathieu Genest, a spokesman for Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen, said Ottawa is planning to tweak existing policies to give such students even more incentives to apply for permanent residence, putting them on the path to citizenship.
An even larger cohort of well-educated, well-integrated new Canadians will be ready to make their mark.
Ibbitson, John. 2018. Foreign students transforming Canada’s schools, immigration. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-foreign-students-transforming-canadas-schools-immigration/.