New West's Purpose Secondary School is still accepting students, according to its principal.
"We have about 65 students right now, but our max is 100," said Phill Esau, who added enrolment is about the same when compared to previous years.
The private school was established in 1983 and subscribes to the Ministry of Education guidelines for independent schools. Grade nine to 12 courses are offered free of charge, with the exception of a $100 book deposit that is returned at the end of the year if everything is in good condition.
"Our goal is to meet the needs of young people who have difficulty in the traditional school system," said Esau. "Sometimes there's issues in their personal lives, sometimes they just need a smaller learning environment."
Class sizes average between 12 and 15 students. There are six teachers, one school counsellor and two support workers on staff.
"One teacher has been with us for 22 years. They love what they're doing and it shows in their work," Esau added. "We're about building relationships, and that's what helps young people turn it around and finish high school.
Operating under the Lower Mainland Purpose Society for Youth and Families, the school also offers additional services. "There's family counselling, a youth clinic, basic daycare...We even have a food cupboard students have access to at anytime, without question," he said.
Purpose Secondary School functions on a quarter system, which asks students to finish two subjects over a nine-week period. "They still end up completing eight courses, but our students love that, because if something happens in their life, they won't end up losing the whole year," Esau said. Just as in the public school system, students must complete 80 credits and write provincial exams.
According to Esau, institutions like Purpose have made a difference in the lives of those that walk through the door.
"Even though 500,000 young people were not in school today, there's over 100,000 in independent schools across the province that are. That says something."
For more information, visit www.purposesecondary.org.
