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Volume 145 ¡ Issue 13 ⢠November 30, 2011
www.thebruns.ca
brunswickan canadaâs oldest official student publication.
New Wave Centre: Steering a small ship on a sea of possibilities Alex Kress Arts Editor Eleven high school students from St. Maryâs First Nation gathered in a circle on a Thursday morning. Likely they would not be in school at all if it wasnât for one room squeezed between the OâDonnell Law office and Forces. ca on Cliffe St. The Wolokehkitimok Centre, or New Wave Centre, is home to these former Leo Hayes students because of a grant applied for by the Leo Hayes administration from the First Nations Enhancement Agreement. The centre exists to give another chance to St. Maryâs students who might have fallen through the cracks because of continued absences and struggles with social issues. Jaydene Brooks, a student who transferred from Leo Hayes, is the most outgoing in the group â at least on Friday â although, this wasnât always the case. She said when she first arrived at the centre, she didnât want to be there at all. But she came around. âComing down here you just learn things more hands-on,â she said. âUp at Leo Hayes they expect you to do the work in that hour and five minutes [of class]. But here, you can just take your time and put more into it.â Alex Morrison, another student at the centre, added, âand you can work at you own pace.â Itâs a unique quality all the students seem to agree upon. They each have specialized, individual programs to follow under the supervision of only two teachers â Kerry McGrath and
Lance Suppier and Jaydene Brooks are students at the Wolokehkitimok Centre at St. Maryâs First Nation. Andrew Meade / The Brunswickan Jessica Millier. Brandon Nash is the veteran of the group; heâs been around since the centreâs beginning in February of 2010. Itâs Kerry and Jessica, he said, that make the centre what it is. âAt Leo Hayes theyâre always, like, straight up with it: âIf you donât do
this youâre outta here.â But here, they give you a chance with what you want to do,â he said. âBut here, you can get to know the teachers. You can talk to the teachers about personal things, and stuff. Thatâs what I like.â The alternative learning program is
based on a project called Big Picture Schools, which focuses on personalized and innovative learning with an emphasis on pushing conventional boundaries. The aim of Big Picture Schools and the Wolokehkitimok Centre is to tap into the studentsâ separate interests and to hone in on
their strengths. The centre makes an effort to improve practical skills by connecting students with the community through internships, co-op positions and
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NB students to pay highest tuition dollars in country Alanah Duffy News Reporter In January, New Brunswick will become the province with the highest tuition rate paid by students. This revelation comes on the heels of an announcement by the Ontario government that they will introduce a tax credit for Ontario students studying at Ontario post-secondary institutions. Beginning in January, students whose parents make less than $160,000 annually will receive a tuition credit of $1,600. The On-
tario government estimates that this will affect about 86 per cent of its post-secondary students. âItâs essentially acting as a sort of grant,â said Jordan Thompson, president of the University of New Br unsw ick Student Union. âIt doesnât reduce the tuition fee, but for students in Ontario, it reduces the amount of tuition paid.â According to Statistics Canada, Ontario has an average tuition rate of $6,640 per year. The new tax credit will bring the tuition for most students below the New Brunswick
average tuition rate of $5,853 per year. âWhat that means is that weâre still technically second in tuition, but thereâs more financial aid provided to students in Ontario from their government,â explained Thompson. Students at New Brunswick universities and colleges are used to high tuition. Tuition rates have been more than $5,000 per year for the past five years, according to Statistics Canada. The previous Liberal government, which was in power from 20062010, put a cap on tuition, to last
five years. The Conservative government, which was elected on Sept. 27, 2010, removed that cap and raised tuition by $200 for the 2011-2012 academic year. The new government also reinstated parental contributions for student loan assessments, a decision which affected many students whose parents make good money on paper but donât have any money set aside for their childâs tuition. Martine Coulombe, minister of post-secondary education, training and labour said in a phone inter-
view with the Brunswickan that a schedule for tuition fees for the next four years will be released in 2012. Coulombe required that a list of interview questions be sent prior to the interview. âThe schedule will allow students to better budget their studies,â she said. âI think it is very important.â Coulombe said that the ministry has been working with New Brunswickâs publicly-funded universities to
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