singingringingtree

We are aiming to go in 2012 at which time my daughter will be 18. She takes her GCSEs in 2010.

Our main concern is that she will be arriving in Canada at 18 without a high school diploma, which I understand is a basic requirement of employers, and she will be too old for high school.

I know can she transfer GCSEs into credits, can she do additional study at a college for the HSD?

Would there be anything in particluar for her to study for last two yeas in this country after GCSEs to make transfer of credits easier? (ie A levels - IB not an option.)

She wants to study beauty therapy, which in UK she could do straight after GCSEs, but we are advising she waits until she goes to Canada to study this as UK beauty quals not recognised.

Has anyone had experience of taking an older 'child', can anyone offer any advice?

Helen Parnell

I am no beautician but I can confirm that she would have to redo her beauty qualifications over here. (even province to province in some cases)

As for High school diploma. In Alberta her GCSE will go towards credits for her HSD. The HSD is made up of various subjects, compulsory and voluntary ones and are at various levels. Like the old CSE/O LEVEL we use to have in the UK.

All HSD have to have English, and Social (history/geog together) at the 30 level (or 34 level if not as bright) Science and Math would only need to be to the 20 level (not as high).

When you have a class graduate they will all have a HSD but of course they are all different. Some one going to university to study Math will not have the same as a girl going to study beauty therapy at college. Both students could have an average of 85%, but the University student could have done all his subjects to a higher level than the beauty student.

So look on the websites of the colleges where your daughter wants to go and there will be breakdown of what they want in the HSD. I would imagine (and i am only guessing here) but biology 20 would be a must. So you can help your daughter to find out if her GCSE level in Biology would be the same as Biology 20 over here.

In Alberta you can get credits for your HSD by work experience. I don't know anything about it, but is something you can explore for your daughter if she is working from 16 -18.

You said A levels are not an option. Is there some other courses that your daughter can take. NVQ or something?

Alberta students can also take all the HSD on line. My son is taking English and Chemistry 20 on line as well as go to school. He plans to take English 30 on line.He is loving it, your daughter may be able to do this.

Good to see that you are planning ahead and I am sure that it will work out. I do have a good friend from the UK who is now a trained Beautician over here. She only did CSE/O levels in the late 1970's. But she did do the course privately. If you pm me I can get more information for you if you want.

singingringingtree

Thanks for that information Helen. The online option sounds like a good idea. How old was your son when he started to take it?

Do you know how to find out what elements the student needs to take (ie, who evaluates what quals the student has and transfers into HSD credits iif outside the school system at 18)?

Helen Parnell

He has already completed grade 10 (the equalavent of grade 11 in the UK ...cos they start a year later here). So he is in grade 11 now. Because he is in a Catholic school he has to do religion to graduate, so he did a three week on line course in religion in the summer. He enjoyed it so much that we decided for him to do his English 20 also on line. Again he loves it. He actually really really dislikes the teacher at school, so it made sense doing it on line where no personalities are involved. He is given work and books to read by a certain date. So for the last two weeks it is read McBeth and write about the characters. He emails it to the teacher and eventually marks it and sends it back.

I can see a problem though that he does have an alberta student number and your daughter wouldn't. You would have to speak to someone about this.

Also every province is different. Here is the link to all good information about alberta education;

http://www.education.alberta.ca/

Hope this helps. You can always pm me or phone me from the website phone number.

Alberta_Rose

My son was 19 when we arrived. He'd done A levels, but not the subjects he needed to the level the university wanted for entrance.

He went to do what they call "high school top-ups", not to a high school but to a place called "Chinook Learning" in Calgary ... like the old "colleges of further ed" or sixth form college if you like ..... though I believe he might also have applied to a senior high to do this.

Check online to find where they do high-school top-ups where you are going. Just Google it plus the town you are headed for.

They evaluated what he'd done at GCSE O and A level in order to determine what courses he needed to take. As I recall there was only a nominal charge as he was under 20 (?)

Alberta_Rose

Helen

How did your son access online HSD? Was it via his school, or is there a link you can give us. I have a feeling it might be a good option for my son ....

singingringingtree

Very helpful Morwenna, I'll look into high school top ups.

Thanks both for your help. I've got a much clearer picture of the way to go now.

Helen Parnell

The on line course that my son does is via St Pauls in Okotoks:

http://www.redeemer.ab.ca/cfl@home/cfl.html

I think it is part of the catholic school, but looking at the website any one can attend/ take part.

My son is also doing one through a calgary based school St Annes. (the reason for two different places is due to a school mess up)

Anyhow he really really prefers St Pauls and as parents we do. They set the work well in advance and then give you a dead line to do it. I know that the last peice of work has to be handed in by January 1st!

The other school just say do it in your own time, which to a 16 year old is never we have to nag for that subject a lot more.

You can always pm for more info.