Pearson board asked to consider opening adult education centre in the Off-Island

The subject of opening an adult and vocational education centre in the Off-Island has been raised by parent representatives during the Lester B. Pearson School Board’s major school change consultation process.

Penny Squires, who heads the governing board of Westwood Senior High School in Hudson, said there is a growing demand for adult education in the region and a lack of public transportation to the Place Cartier centre in Beaconsfield, whose programs, she noted, are usually at full capacity. Her governing board has suggested a satellite campus of the Cartier centre could operate out of Westwood Senior High School.

“Right now, there is none,” she said of a Pearson adult-ed program being offered in the Off-Island. “People that need help have to go on island. So kids who didn’t finish their high school, there would be an incentive for them to finish their high school in the evening if it were available here. The fact that there is no transportation to the island (of Montreal) is a deterrent. If it were available, people who (currently) have to go on island would much rather come here than travel further away.”

Squires said the Westwood Senior campus is housed in a building that has sections with separate entrances and could accommodate adult-ed/vocational programs right after the high school breaks at about 2:30 p.m., as well as have early evening sessions.

“You could segregate one section in the evening and they wouldn’t have access to the other area,” she said.

Squires said while she remains hopeful the school board will address the adult-ed void in the OffIsland region, she isn’t certain the issue will be resolved when Pearson commissioners table the omnibus major school change package, which is expected Dec. 14.

“It’s something that is very feasible at our school,” she said. “We’re hoping, but will it happen? I think there is a possibility because they did seem interested in it,” she added, referring to the major school change public consultation meeting held last Wednesday.

The governing board chairman of Forest Hill Elementary School in St-Lazare has also noted the need for vocational or adult-ed programs in the Off-Island.

“At the moment, the anglophone Off-Island youth cannot benefit from any type of vocational training unless they head on-island. In the best interest of our students, including those who chose not to pursue post-secondary education, we feel that it would be beneficial to the community if vocational training could be offered in either, or both, of the Westwood buildings,” said governing board head André La Traverse.

He said adult or continuing education courses could be offered in these buildings outside of regular high school hours.

Pearson chairwoman Suanne Stein Day said the board is well aware of the demand for adult ed in the region, but added transportation remains an issue for those who don’t have their own vehicle.

“We’ve looked into it in the past. Generally, a lot of our (Off-Island) schools were crowded. A few years ago we expanded both Westwood Junior and Senior buildings, so there is space there now,” she said. “We’ve always thought it would be a good idea.”

Stein Day said Pearson had once hoped to be part of a health education centre being considered by the Vaudreuil-Soulanges MRC, but that project never materialized. The board could have set up health-related programs at the proposed centre, she said.

“But that didn’t happen,” she continued. “We are looking at putting some adult ed and vocational courses (in the Off-Island) but the key to that is transportation because (Westwood Senior) is in Hudson, the other one (Westwood Junior) is in St-Lazare. A lot of our clientele are from the different towns around there. If you don’t have wheels, it’s very hard to get around.

“Our administration really has to look at the possibilities, whether we can have transportation out there, what the market is,” she said. “We have had requests in the past. We have to look at all the numbers before (commissioners) make a decision.”

Any changes or the major school change solutions to be tabled Dec. 14 should come into play for fall 2016, Stein Day said.

“I don’t have every single detail (right now) but I’m telling you it could be done,” she added. “We have nine months to make it work.”