Maintain Thames Valley District School Board's only International Baccalaureate Program

We call on the administration of Central Elgin Collegiate Institute to reverse the ill-informed decision to cancel the International Baccalaureate program, and to maintain the IB program at the school in order to uphold its contractual agreement with the International Baccalaureate Organization.

A parent group was formed in response to a decision made in May 2006 by the school administration of Central Elgin Collegiate in St. Thomas, Ontario to eliminate the International Baccalaureate program, effective September 2006.

Parents of prospective registrants were sent an undated letter by the administration in May 2006 stating that the program was being discontinued. Neither the school council chair, neither local school board trustees, neither senior school board administration nor the community at large knew of the decision. The decision- making process was not in the spirit of the Ministry of Educations new Parent Involvement Policy, which clearly articulates the importance of consultation with parents and the community.

The Vancouver and New York Regional Office of the International Baccalaureate Organization were contacted for support and information. As a result, parents found out the decision taken by the administration contravenes Article 11 of the agreement binding the schools management of the program set by the Organization: six months notice must be given for termination of the program beginning from the next school year and students in the program must be allowed to complete their examinations. Disregard of this Article invalidated the administrations decision to discontinue the program. Reasons stated in the letter for program discontinuation were not significant to program continuation, based on information received from IBO and best practices in other IB program schools.

Parents in Support of IB created this petition to generate data to show that there is indeed interest in maintaining this program for students in the Thames Valley District School Board. In a system of 80,000 students and the fourth largest school board in Ontario, offering access to an International Baccalaureate program can only be an advantageous endeavour to all students in a publicly funded education system.

We recognize the benefit of such a program and support access for all students of the community and the TVDSB school system and we want to see this program maintained at Central Elgin Collegiate Institute.