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Three Belleville schools will start offering specialty skills programs this fall.

By JASON MILLER


The three Rs just got a lot more interesting for students.

Three Belleville schools will start offering specialty skills programs this fall.

The McGuinty government recently announced that three Prince Edward-Hastings secondary schools will benefit from the expansion of the provincial education ministry''s specialization programs for the upcoming school year.

The three schools are Moira Secondary School, Quinte Secondary School and St. Theresa Catholic Secondary School. Moira and St. Theresa will launch new specialist sports programs, while Quinte is slated to offer a manufacturing course.

The sports program is a welcome addition to the curriculum at St. Theresa''s said Lynn Wallace, superintendent of school effectiveness for the Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board.

"It allows the students to explore an area of interest," she said.

The Belleville school will be the first local Catholic institution to offer the sports option. Wallace said the speciality programs are offered to senior students and are normally bundled with credits and co-op placements.

The students also have to complete training and certification as part of the major. The sports program will expose students to a wide array of careers such as, teaching, kinesiology and sports director.

"The kids are taking this in combination with their other courses," she said.

With the additions there will be 10 "specialist high skills majors" offered in Prince Edward-Hastings high schools next school year in sectors such as arts and culture, construction, environment, forestry, and health and wellness.

Through these programs, students earn credits while developing the skills needed for college, university, apprenticeship and the workplace.

These programs provide students with opportunities to learn new skills and gain valuable hands-on experience to assist them in making future career choices said Education Minister Leona Dombrowsky, MPP for Prince Edward-Hastings.

Dombrowsky said the programs are aimed at enabling students to be successful. She said the ministry is always keen on working with school boards to establish beneficial programming.

"The school community plays a significant role in identifying the areas where they believe students would gain some benefit from hands-on experience," she said.

Dombrowsky also highlighted the recently released progress report that showed gains in test scores and graduation rates.

The high school graduation rate of 81 per cent in 2009-10 is up from 68 per cent in 2003-04. More than 44,000 laid-off workers have enrolled in training funded through Second Career

jmiller@intelligencer.ca
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