NIPAWIN — The new crown corporation for online learning selected communities for their regional campuses and Nipawin was named the location for the northeast.
Students accessing courses online through the new Saskatchewan Distance Learning Corporation (Sask DLC) opening this fall will have the opportunity to connect and receive instruction from local teachers at one of ten locations across the province, in addition to connecting virtually.
Stacy Lair, NESD Director of Education, said they had submitted an intent and interest for Nipawin to be one of the locations and plan to work along the Ministry of Education.
“The NESD is happy to hear the news as this provides us the opportunity for access as our school boundaries are on the edge of the north, all the way to the east and this location provides access for our students, interaction with teachers, even if they are online full time,’ she said.
The province geographically spread these access points across the province, said Lair. She said the school division leverages online tools and it’s important to have those opportunities available for Northeast students.
Lair said they had 4.2 full-time teachers dedicated to online learning in the NESD but is unsure of the number of staff that will be located at this office.
“The NESD is interested in the course list and the student enrolment, as we will have to still budget for part-time students. Logistically, there are lots of moving parts and we need to budget tuition to the new Sask. DLC.”
The main Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre office is located out of Kenaston. Nine additional regional campuses will be established in the communities of Estevan, La Ronge, Moose Jaw, Neilburg, Nipawin, Prince Albert, Saskatoon, Swift Current and Yorkton.
“These locations will provide access to quality online learning for students around the province as well as opportunities for teachers to collaborate to support students' learning,” Education Minister Dustin Duncan said. “Students will have the option to receive support virtually or in person from these regional campuses,” said the news release.
Teachers will run classes from the main Sask DLC office or from the regional campuses and work collaboratively to provide high quality education to all students. Students will have the choice to attend the Sask DLC as a full-time or part-time student. Students will register with the new school and then be connected to their local school division, which will provide tuition to the Sask DLC.
School divisions, together with the Sask DLC, will provide local support for students such as educational assistants, speech-language pathologists, and counsellors. School divisions will also provide student activities such as driver’s license training, graduation ceremonies and extra-curricular activities, including arts and sports. Lair said that student career counselling and other extra supports to students still need to be worked out.
Student registration for the new provincial online school will be available in April.
Students of the Sask DLC will have access to a wide variety of courses, with classes from Kindergarten to Grade 12 as well as a variety of high school electives such as Autobody, Agricultural Equipment Technician, Field Crop Production, Forensic Science, Cow/Calf Production and Exercise Science, among others. Adult students wishing to complete their Grade 12 or take additional electives will be able to do so at the Sask DLC as well. Information updates will continue to be provided on the Government of Saskatchewan's website.
