On Tuesday, March 4, staff at Peace Wapiti Enterprise Centre (PWEC) welcomed international guest Dr. Atsushi Okabe, Associate Professor at the Seisen University in Nagano, Japan, to showcase the school’s off-campus programming. PWEC, an outreach school within Peace Wapiti Public School Division, offers a range of flexible program options for students in Grades 9-12 who might be facing challenges finding success in a traditional school environment.
Dr. Okabe has been studying high school education policy related to school-to-work programs in Alberta since 1999 and, throughout the past 12 years, has had a focus on vulnerable youth. He has spent his time researching how educational programs can be used to foster career development, and the collaborative system between local grassroots initiatives and the public education system to realize social inclusion.
According to Dr. Okabe, there are currently up to 350,000 Japanese students per year experiencing school absenteeism, and it is up to the high schools to accept these students with significant gaps in their education. “Part-time and correspondence schools each have differing flexibility that allows students to complete high school in ways that traditional schools are unable to offer.” Dr. Okabe says by studying the initiatives at PWEC, he hopes to gain insights that could contribute to high school education reform in Japan.
PWEC Assistant Principal, Mr. Robert Robinson, says he is grateful for the visit with Dr. Okabe. “Though the research is being undertaken by Dr. Okabe, as a teacher at PWEC, I also took away some key understandings that will push me to look at our own program with a new perspective. I appreciate Dr. Okabe taking time out of his very hectic travel schedule to learn about PWEC, and how we support our students.” Mr. Robinson adds that the opportunity to learn and share ideas directly with international experts is a rare treat that he feels very fortunate to have been a part of.
After stopping in Grande Prairie, Dr. Okabe plans to visit different programs in Calgary and Edmonton before returning to Tokyo next week.