Welcome to Edvance—the new “big tent” association for independent Christian schools.
Have you noticed a disquiet in education? We see it here in Ontario, the province from which I’m writing, and it can be noted around the world.
Parents are increasingly shifting their attention from traditional neighbourhood government schools and looking elsewhere for the education of their children. This growing search of parents for alternatives for their children’s education shows up in higher shares of students enrolled in independent schools and increasing numbers of independent schools. Ontario’s story is not isolated from the larger context.
Consider the global story for a moment. Across the world we see a wide diversity of independent schools being established around unique visions for education. A recent Routledge publication captured some of the range.
For example, we see Human Scale education, Steiner Waldorf approach, Montessori education, democratic and free alternative schools, Dewey-informed experiential approaches, Nikolage Grundtvig approach in Denmark, Jenaplan in Germany and Holland, Freinet-based in France, Reggio Emilia from Italy, and Forest and Beach schools in Europe and the UK. The approaches share a focus on experience, interaction, dignity, productivity, and natural environments.
In America, Australia, and elsewhere, we note strong growth in classical education, Charlotte Mason education, and home-based education. Project-based, purpose-based, and knowledge-based approaches are increasing in popularity. Flexible schools, offering a mix of school, virtual, and community-based education, are also appearing.
In Ontario, the story of independent schooling mirrors international diversity trends and is also one of expansion and growth. The latest available Ontario data (from 2015-16) show 6.3 percent of students enrolled in independent schools, up from 5.3 percent a decade earlier. Over that period, enrolments declined in public schools by 6 percent (dipping below 2 million for the first time in almost three decades), while enrolments increased by 12 percent in independent schools (reaching almost 134,000 students). Furthermore, while the number of public schools stagnated, the number of independent schools increased by 25 percent in just ten years.
About half of the independent schools in Ontario reflect at least some of the pedagogical diversity noted worldwide. The other half, while often reflective of diverse approaches to teaching and learning, are also rooted in distinct religious perspectives in education, and include an emphasis on the student’s spiritual formation, Christian, Jewish, Muslim to name several.
Edvance Christian Schools Association exists to foster and promote excellence in independent Christian schools and to be a consistent voice representing the Christian education sector as a whole. We know parents are looking for alternatives, here in Ontario and Canada, as much as they are across the world. Many want a religiously formative, pedagogically robust education that recognizes the distinct dignity of their child. We are here to walk alongside schools in responding with excellence to this growing demand. Welcome to Edvance!