MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

After having taught university classes for almost 40 years, mostly in Canada and Turkey, I am convinced that the future of education will feature a hybrid approach between face-to-face and on-line learning. The current system of delivering education in the classroom is not sustainable for several reasons: technology allows us to deliver content in many ways, students learn many subjects better on their own or with the peers, using teachers to repeat the same class over and over is not cost effective. The pandemic forced us to teach and learn on-line even though the education system was not prepared for it. Many students realized that it is possible to learn on-line, and they are questioning the need to go to school every day for 6-8 hours. I believe on-line learning for high-school and university students is in its infancy now, and in a decade all educational programs will have a significant on-line component. I believe that face-to-face time with teachers is best used for answering questions, mentoring, and skills development—and not for information delivery.

I accepted the position of Principal at the Ontario International High School since I wish to experience the evolution of teaching and learning in the forefront. Most of our students are registered in their home countries in a traditional brick-and-mortar high school, where they can benefit from socializing with their classmates and experiencing all educational activities their schools offer. In addition, they take around nine courses at our school – some synchronously some asynchronously—which allows them to receive the Ontario Secondary School Diploma in addition to the diploma they receive at home. The OSSD allows students to gain admission to universities worldwide while some local diplomas are not sufficient for acceptance (for example, many European universities do not accept a Turkish high school diploma). Hence, our courses not only offer our students excellent academic content and an experience of a Canadian high school, but they also provide the student with a diploma valid worldwide.

We are a relatively small school which allows me to monitor our students individually and advise them on academic pathways and careers—which is something I have been doing professionally ever since I moved back to Turkey in 2005. We also put all our Turkish students through a 12-week 21st century skills program which prepares them to a successful career by improving skills that are neglected in high schools and universities in Turkey. My goal is to help individuals reach their potential through a combination of skills development and academic training using technology in the most effective way. Even though we started admitting Turkish students only 1,5 years ago, some are graduating now and applying to universities worldwide. My goal is to design an effective hybrid learning system in high schools, universities and beyond, and Ontario International High School is an important step in this journey. I invite you to come and experience the future of education with us!

Erhan Erkut, PhD