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Enrollment in some post-secondary institutions in Kelowna is on the rise, running against a provincial declining trend.
For the first time since 1999, British Columbia saw a decrease in year-over-year enrollment in post-secondary institutions across the province.
According to Statistics Canada, 272,802 students enrolled in post-secondary institutions for the 2014/2015 school year. During the 2013/2014 school year that number was 277,515.
That’s a drop of about 1.7 per cent from one year to the next. Nationwide, enrollment was nearly identical year-over-year, with only a 0.3 per cent rise from one year to the next.
But while the province as a whole saw fewer students start in on their post-high-school learning, Kelowna’s numbers are slightly different.
At Okanagan College, student headcount has been going up steadily. In the 2013/2014 school year the school had 10,815 students, while in 2014/2015 it had 11.041.
“Enrollment is fairly steady,” said Allan Coyle, the school’s director of public affairs.
Meanwhile, enrollment at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus was more in line with the provincial trend. The school saw a two per cent decrease in enrollment from the 2013/2014 school year to the 2014/2015 school year.
Despite the decrease at UBCO, Sandy Corrado, a Grade 12 councillor at Kelowna Secondary School, said she is not seeing any kind drop in students heading to college and university.
She said KSS sends a majority of its graduates to schools in Kelowna, and more of the school’s students are doing that all the time.
“We’re not experiencing that at all; I don’t see that from our school,” she said, commenting on the province’s declining enrollment rates.
She said graduating classes at KSS are the largest they’ve ever been, and the “majority” of the students are attending some kind of post-secondary institution.
“I would say 80 per cent at least,” Corrado said.
Corrado chalks the impressive post-secondary transition rate up to the environment created by parents and teachers at the school.
“I think it’s just sort of the mentality of the staff and the parents. The expectation is that you should continue [to a post-secondary institution] so that you can have opportunities throughout your life,” she said.
“I think the kids here are just very well educated, and it’s often emphasized that you need some sort of post-secondary training to thrive,” she said.
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