CERTIFICATION RATIONALE Authentic BC program Teacher professional development/exchange Cultural and educational exchanges International student opportunities/exchanges Long-term economic development/opportunities

CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS Approval of appropriate local education authorities All courses taught in English Principal and teachers are BC certified Instructional time and course learning outcomes Sufficient courses to enable students to graduate from Grade 12 Graduation program provincial examinations British Columbia Agent Consultant/service provider

PROCEDURAL STEPS Application Selected Applicant Candidate Status (informal visit/review) Certification Status (formal inspection team) Maintaining certification status

CONSULTANT/SERVICE PROVIDER (School district company, independent school or BC educator) MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (Inspector of Independent Schools) AUTHORITY OPERATING AN OFFSHORE SCHOOL (BRITISH COLUMBIA PROGRAM) BC AGENT – BC Educator KEY PLAYERS

AUTHORITY/OFFSHORE SCHOOLS ROLE Establish and operate an English program that meets BCs requirements Fulfill Agreement requirements established in BC Provide for annual on-sight inspections by BCs Ministry of Education Share requested information with BC Ministry of Education Pay all BC program and inspection fees

MINISTRYS ROLE The Ministrys role is to: Establish certification requirements Conduct inspections Certify the BC educational program Administer Graduation Program provincial exams Issue transcripts and diplomas to graduates

May include such items as: Administrative consultation/guidance Policy development Curriculum resources and development Recommendations and/or purchases of educational resources Recruitment of British Columbia-certified principal and teachers Completion of Ministry of Education documents Professional development BC AGENTS AND CONSULTANT/SERVICE PROVIDERS ROLE

BC Agent and Consultant/Service Provider Contract between offshore school and BC Agent and consultant/service provider

Offshore School British Columbia Program Candidate and Certification Status Agreements An Agreement between the BC Ministry of Education and the Offshore School Authority. /

BC CERTIFIED PROGRAM FEES $200 one time per student fee at Kindergarten to Grade 9 $350 one time per student fee at Grade 10, 11 or 12 $50 fee for each additional Grade 12 examination written in addition to English 12 $2,500 Candidate Status application fee $3,500 Certification Status application fee Pre-payment of all on-site inspection team costs (professional fees, air, food, lodging, transportation, etc.)

ISSUANCE OF STUDY PERMITS TO CANADA British Columbia and Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) signed an Agreement for Canada-British Columbia Cooperation on Immigration on April 5, 2004 The Agreement includes the facilitation of timely issuance of study permits (student visas) to Canada for graduates from BC-certified programs at Offshore Schools

Three national Memoranda of Understanding of educational cooperation have been signed between: the Premier of British Columbia and the National Minister of Education, the Peoples Republic of China, in November 2003 the Deputy Minister of Education with the Ministry of Education for the Arab Republic of Egypt in March 2006, and the Deputy Minister of Education with the Ministry of Education of the Kingdom of Thailand in September 2006.

Minister of Education for the Province of Liaoning, PRC27-Apr-98 Ministry of Education, Beijing, PRC06-Nov-03 Beijing Municipal Education Commission, PRC15-Mar-04 Shanxi Education Bureau, PRC16-Mar-04 Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education, PRC17-Mar-04 The Minister of Education of the Arab Republic of Egypt13-Mar-06 The Ministry of Education of the Kingdom of Thailand11-Sept-06 Wuhan Education Bureau, Hubei Province, PRC19-Mar-07 Wenzhou Education Bureau, PRC22-Mar-07 Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education, PRC22-Mar-07 Shanghai Xuhui Education Bureau, PRC07-Mar-08 Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, Republic of Korea20-May-08 Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, Republic of Korea20-May-08 Tianjin, PRC22-May-08 Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban)23-May-08 Department of Education Guangdong, PRC06-Nov-08 Chongqing Education Commission, PRC07-Nov-08 Education Department of Shandong, PRC09-Nov-08 Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Office of Education11-Nov-08 Jeollabuk-do Province Government, Republic of Korea17-Dec-08 Yunnan Provincial Department of Education, PRC24-Feb-09 Shanghai Jiading District Education Bureau20-Mar MOUs signed with the Province

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