How to Find the BEST Schools in Vancouver BC

[@LivingInVancouver-BC]

Thank you for checking out the video! What kind of Vancouver school are you sending your kids to (public, private or independent) and why?

[@Nerding4Nature]

I’m a teacher in BC, so I clicked on this ready to be angry because I figured you’d be going off of Fraser Independent ratings (which I suspect are getting boycotted by a lot of school since they don’t show up in rankings). For the most part you’ve done a good job. I’ve worked at religious, First Nations schools, and several school districts, albeit mostly in rural and northern communities. I did attend school in the lower mainland though and worked in the Fraser Valley for a spell. I want to give my 2 cents. 1: One quick clarification-Private and independent school are the same things. Class 1 and 2 private schools receive the same government funding. Class 2 are going to be pricier. Religious schools get additional funding from the church and are thus cheaper to attend. 2: Consider the size of the school. My experience is that smaller school have more of a family atmosphere. I work at a school with 100 students. Would-be-bullies have a hard time finding an audience. I frequently collaborate with all the other classes because I know where other teachers’ strengths lie. I know most if the kids and their unique situations as well as many parents outside my class. Plus there is better access to outdoor spaces and gym. My nephew goes to an elementary school with 800 kids in greater Vancouver - not great for a kid with ADHD and learning disabilities. 3: Talk to parents of the school if you can. A school with a good reputation can go downhill fast with an administration change. 4: Note that mediocre academic ratings can mean the school is focussing on other things like project based learning or outdoor education. Once again, talking to families can give you an idea of this. Like you said, take Fraser Institute ratings with a grain of salt. 5: First Nations independent schools can be a great option. Some bands are quite business savvy and thus well funded. All ethnicities are welcome tuition free. Class sizes are generally smaller and there is usually more EAs. Adult to kid ration at my current school is around 10:1. There tends to be a focus on outdoor Ed. I’m not sure what is available in the lower mainland but the Fraser Valley certainly has options. 6: Note that I haven’t noticed any difference in teacher quality between public and independent schools. There are pros and cons to working at either one. I did my practicum at a school in the bottom 5 of the Fraser Institute ratings. It had excellent teachers who put their heart and souls into helpings very disadvantaged group of kids. It may not be the place for children without learning difficulties though. Also, it’s a lot harder to fire a public school teacher.

[@LivingInVancouver-BC]

Thank you for checking out the video and sharing your experience, @nerding4nature. I really appreciate your perspective and the time you put into your response. Thank you! Honestly, I had no idea that there were separate First Nations schools that are open to everyone. That's very interesting and a great tip! ...also, I love the tips you gave regarding considering the size of the school as well as talking to parents of kids at a school you are considering. Also thank you for clarifying the private/independent school topic!

[@A.A-h3h]

Thank you a lot for the beneficial and helpful guidance you perfectly present. I am appreciative of it.

[@LivingInVancouver-BC]

@A.A-h3h My pleasure! I'm happy to hear that this was helpful for you!

[@marcberrenson570]

You're one of the few realtors who have done a fairly extensive analysis of the BC School situation. As a senior citizen in Los Angeles, we've gone through the school issues with our children and our grandchildren. Also, we've compared notes with some lifelong friends who have been through this process. In L.A., there's a very important issue that you didn't touch upon. That is, will your child be safe while at school and going to a from school. We've had all sorts of issues about this from bussing to allowing certain schools to call their own shots on curriculum and after school sports, etc. We also have many pre-schools available for a fee. In addiltion to using the Simon Fraser rankings, I'd be interested in whether UBC has a position on this. Probably won't get them to state on the record which schools, if any, receive more "respect" when it comes to college admission. For most folks moving from the U.S., eliminating the safety issue is a major pro. Personally, with some exceptions, I've found that if a child is academically oriented, he or she will do well no matter where they go.

[@LivingInVancouver-BC]

That's a great point about safety in schools, @marcberrenson570...it's something that we really take for granted. I came across this recently with clients moving from Seattle. They were telling me how even there they have metal detectors in all the shools and have lockdown drills regularly. These aren't a part of our school system...thankfully. In terms of school quality, you will definitely not get any of the universities providing an opinion on local school quality. We have much more uniform school quality in Metro Vancouver because it's all provincially regulated. As always, appreciate your comments and support of the channel!

[@yvr2002rtw]

Another category would be for profit private schools that cater specifically to international students. They tend to offer courses at the secondary school (usually with ESL) and even college level to prepare them for entry and/or transfer into Canadian universities. These can be of varying quality and some students may end up with poor English skills as most their classmates are from the same country.

[@LivingInVancouver-BC]

Good addition, @yvr2002rtw. This would be generally just part of the private school category…there are a plethora of private schools in this category with highly variable levels of quality. It’s buyer beware for sure.

[@yvr2002rtw]

Not sure if this is still the case, but some "tiger moms" who live in East Vancouver (in the 1990s before gentrification) would "rent" rooms and/or basement suites at their friend's and/or relatives house on the West side of Vancouver and setup landlines (to get the utility bill) there complete with call forwarding. This is just so their children can attend the "better" public schools where they would have classmates from more affluent families who tend to be more education oriented.

[@LivingInVancouver-BC]

I haven’t heard of this personally…but i wouldn’t be surprised if people gamed the system to get their children access to certain schools.

[@suekuan1540]

You have to be smart in order to get into the boys or girls only schools. Parents also have to be ceo, doctors, lawyer, rich etc. the best public schools are west side ( point grey, shaunnaessy etc.)...again rich areas of the city .

[@elai3147]

just common sense, in general you want your kids going to schools with affluent families, if you can afford to live west of cambie (preferably west of arbutus) your kids would be fine going to public schools

[@LivingInVancouver-BC]

I think that area has expanded considerably in recent years…definitley main and Fraser…but many other pockets on the east side of Vancouver have fantastic support for their neighborhood schools.

[@BKFLcorporate]

my daughter's age is now 9. next year 10. So For 10 years old, which school would be best public in Vancouver area, or what other area in BC would be better. We will move based on the school location. So School is our main concern.

[@LivingInVancouver-BC]

Hi @bkflcorporate. Congrats on making the move here. As you’ll know after watching the video the standard of education here in Vancouver is high. You don’t really need to prioritize schools as much as many parts of the world because there’s litttle difference between them. But, you may find in higher income areas that there are more opportunities because the parents may focus on education more and fundraise more…but the core education will be the same. Are you looking for a public or private school?

[@BKFLcorporate]

Public school @@LivingInVancouver-BC

[@LivingInVancouver-BC]

Haha...now I realize you mentioned that in your first comment. Sorry! My previous points stand regarding the selection of schools (as well as the points made in the video). All Vancouver public schools are of very high quality on a global scale. Many people feel that the schools in higher income areas are better, though. Again, the education delivered will be the same but the tools used could be different as those schools could be better supported from the community (all public schools fundraise for extra funds from the local families). Also, keep in mind that selection of the school isn't always up to you. We do have school catchments that give you priority access to that school...but being in the catchment does not guarantee that your child will be able to get into that school if there isn't already room for them.

[@balajisakamuru7767]

Sir can you suggest me best boarding schools for my son to study 11th std and we are from India

[@LivingInVancouver-BC]

@balajisakamuru7767 There are too many options to really suggest any one in particular. And too much I don't know about you or your son...but St. George's is generally considered the best in Vancouver.

[@balajisakamuru7767]

Sir we are looking for good boarding schools and science stream courses my son like. Please suggest economical budget good schools

[@LivingInVancouver-BC]

Private boarding schools are expensive, unfortunately. I don't think that there's really an economical budget option in Vancouver.

[@reannewu]

Is homeschooling allowed?

[@LivingInVancouver-BC]

Yes. Homeschooling is allowed. It’s more common in more remote parts of BC. Less so in the city…but definitely allowed if that’s your preference.

[@johnnyboyvan]

Didn't TREK have scandalous affairs?? 😮

[@LivingInVancouver-BC]

It did, yes…that was before my time…and when i was there there wasn’t even a hint that anything untoward had happened. It’s still going today and it’s a model that many schools have copied.