Private high school poised to open in former Victoria School
Victoria Academy
Photo by Brian Shypula, Brant News
Brant News
Two hundred brand new desks packed in boxes in the basement of 118-year-old Victoria School signal optimism and a return to education for the stately Richmond Street building.
According to plan, those seats will be occupied by high-achieving international and Canadian students studying at Victoria Academy, Brantford’s first private high school, scheduled to open Feb. 2.
“If you want your son or your daughter to be able to work as a professional in the future, Victoria Academy would be the answer,” principal Norman Zhang said during an open house on Saturday.
“The goal for Victoria Academy is to guarantee every student (goes) to college or university after they graduate from our school,” he said.
Zhang is director and co-owner of Henan Education Canada Inc. The company will operate Victoria Academy after buying the vacant school from the Grand Erie District School Board in August.
The state-run education system in Henan province in China is also a partner in the project. Zhang, a former university lecturer in China with an MBA from McMaster University, said many Chinese students want to come to Canada for high school and university. Henan saw an opportunity to open and operate its own school.
Victoria Academy will teach math, science, English, history, physical education, martial arts and Mandarin in Grades 9 through 12. It will follow the Ontario curriculum and all its teachers will be certified through the Ontario College of Teachers.
The Ministry of Education will inspect Victoria Academy for compliance before the school opens in one month.
The school’s first seven students from China are scheduled to arrive in Brantford on Jan. 20.
Meantime, Zhang is recruiting local students to attend the school. One of the selling points is a Mandarin language course. Henan is also offering a financial incentive. For the first semester from February to June, tuition is free for any Brantford student who registers, thanks to financial support from the Chinese government.
After successful completion of the Mandarin course, four to six local students will be chosen for a 10- to 14-day two trip to China in July with all expenses covered including flights, hotels and meals. They’ll visit Beijing and major attractions such as the Great Wall and Forbidden City to learn about Chinese culture and stay part of the trip with a Chinese family.
Zhang hopes the students will continue with Victoria Academy but said there is no commitment beyond inaugural semester.
Full-time tuition is set at $11,950 a year for domestic students and $19,950 for international students. Zhang said an additional $2,000 discount on the domestic tuition price is in the works for Brantford students.
The school is aiming to have 20 students from Brantford in each of grades 9, 10 and 11 when it opens.
“I don’t know if we can reach the goal,” he said.
As long as there are 10 students per grade, the school would offer full services, he said. If there are fewer than 10, some classes may be combined.
The open house attracted about a dozen people, including teachers looking for jobs and one potential future student.
“What resonated with me the most was the part about preparing them for university,” said Teri Clayton, who brought daughter Emily, a Grade 6 student at Notre Dame School in Brantford. “In today’s society you really need that,” the mother added.
Emily, who was born in China and adopted by the Claytons at less than a year old, said she is interested in learning Mandarin.
Zhang emphasized the school is out to attract high achievers. He wants them to attend universities like Harvard, Yale and Toronto after graduation. Rooms in the school will be named after universities with opportunities for those institutions to promote themselves.
“We’ll try to be a good feeder school,” he said.
Students can expect a strict but safe environment at Victoria Academy. Zhang said there will be zero tolerance for bullying and smoking will be forbidden, either on or away from school grounds. Students will be required to wear a uniform. Exercise will be part of the daily regimen with mandatory yoga for girls and strength training for boys.
Zhang said 16 surveillance cameras have been installed inside and eight outside for the protection and security of the students and building.
Renovations are expected to be finished in two weeks.
Since buying the building, Henan spent $80,000 on a new roof and had tile floors containing asbestos removed, another pricey project.
The building has been neglected. Zhang showed water damage and flaking paint in several rooms. But he remains confident the 1897 school can be returned to its former grandeur.
“It’s one of the landmarks in Brantford,” he said.
Victoria was closed in 2002 but pressed back into duty to accommodate Brantford Collegiate Institute classes while the high school was being renovated. It closed for good again in 2011.
During the open house workers were installing a new hardwood floor in the future gymnasium, which will also include a stage for graduation ceremonies.
The plan is to have seven large classrooms, a computer lab, library and fitness rooms.
About 50 teachers have applied to teach at Victoria Academy. How many are hired ultimately depends on the number of students the school is able to attract.
Victoria Academy has a goal of 250 students within four or five years, he said. The target is for 40 per cent of students to come from China, 30 per cent from other overseas countries and 30 per cent local or from elsewhere in Canada.
Zhang said he looked at other communities including Richmond Hill, Markham, Scarborough, Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington, Aurora and Kingston but rejected them because, frankly, they had too great an immigrant population. He said he wanted a “pure Canadian” environment for the school and Brantford fit the bill.
A friendly and co-operative reception from civic officials, including Mayor Chris Friel, and the Grand Erie board were also deciding factors.
Zhang said he’s spoken with Brantford’s economic development office about a residence for the international students.
Improvement to the building’s exterior, including fresh paint, landscaping and parking lot repaving will be done when the weather is suitable.
Future plans include an arts centre.
MMMC Inc. Architects, which has an office right around the corner from the school, was retained to help Victoria Academy with an addition to house a performing arts centre for both school and community use in the next two to three years. Zhang ballparked the cost at $5 million to $6 million.
Future open houses are scheduled for Jan. 10 and Jan. 17 from 10 a.m. to noon.
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