Adult Basic Education

The BC Adult Graduation Diploma at Castlegar, Grand Forks, Kaslo, Nakusp, Silver King, Nelson, Trail

Program Summary

Many of our Adult Basic Education (ABE) courses are college upgrading courses equivalent to those of the Grade 10, 11 or 12 levels in the K-12 system. Students may take the specific courses they need as prerequisites for entry to post-secondary studies or they may take all the courses necessary for a level completion up to and including the BC Adult Graduation Diploma (Adult Dogwood, see below).

English as a Second Language (EASL) courses can help individuals who do not speak English become fluent in both written and conversational English, and are available on an individualized basis on most campuses.

Adult Special Education (Transitional Training or TT) is for adults with special needs or disabilities so that they may move to independent living or prepare for the world of work. It is available at Castlegar, Grand Forks, Nelson (Silver King) and Trail.

Selkirk College also works with a community partner, the Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy to deliver Adult Literacy Programs in all six communities.

Program Objectives

Adult Basic Education at Selkirk College is designed to allow mature students to develop academic skills, personal management skills and teamwork skills for use in the labour force, in further academic training and in their communities. Offerings range from fundamental skill levels to the equivalent of Grade12 completion. Students may also prepare to write the General Education Diploma (GED) examinations or the Language Proficiency Index (LPI) exam. Adult Basic Education classes are held on Castlegar, Grand Forks, Silver King (Nelson) and Trail campuses as well as in the College’s Adult Learning Centres in Nakusp and Kaslo.

Adult Basic Education is student-centred and makes every effort to accommodate students’ individual learning needs. When learners require specific skills development rather than complete course credit, ABE staff are able to design an individual learning plan that builds these specific skills in reading, writing, math, or computer literacy.

In the Adult Learning Centres, courses are offered from September to April. These courses are individualized, allowing students to work at their own speed. Flexible timetabling allows most students to choose their class times. On the larger campuses, courses generally run for a longer period of time with many courses at regularly scheduled times. The Silver King Campus in Nelson has a summer semester   beginning in early May and ending in August. On the Castlegar Campus, ABE provides upgrading to the Intermediate Level (Grade 10 equivalency) only and Grade 11 and 12 equivalent level courses are offered through University Arts and Sciences – College Preparatory program.

Note: Not all courses or programs are available at all centres or on all campuses.

Counselling is available to help you make the best course choices based on your individual needs.

These courses are tuition free. Books are provided on a loan basis. Nelson and Castlegar students also pay student union fees.

Additional Information

• Castlegar Campus
• Silver King Campus
• Trail Campus
• Grand Forks Campus
• Kaslo Learning Centre
• Nakusp Learning Centre

Admission Requirements

Admission to Adult Basic Education courses is open to anyone who meets the following requirements:

• Fully Qualified Students must be 19 years of age or over at the time of registration and must be considered by the instructor to be capable of succeeding in college courses.
• Partially Qualified Students under 19 years of age must have the written recommendation of a secondary school principal and the instructor must be satisfied that students can perform in an adult environment.

Notes:

• All applicants will file a Selkirk College application form.
• Be interviewed and given placement tests before being registered.
• Admission may be restricted by space limitations. Please check with the instructors at each ABE Centre to determine availability.

Evening Upgrading

Most centres provide some evening class hours.

Course Levels

ABE Fundamental

These courses are designed to help adults with upgrading to the end of Grade 9. Students work on independent programs and may choose the subject area and hours per week of class. Instruction is available in reading, writing, spelling, science, computer skills and mathematics.

ABE Intermediate

The courses at this level help adults upgrade to Grade 10 equivalence. Instruction is available in English, Mathematics, sciences, computer studies and social studies. Students may choose to take some or all of the subjects.

ABE Advanced

At this level, the courses are roughly equivalent to the Grade 11 level. Completing this level fulfils the requirements for entry to many trades and other college programs. Mathematics, sciences, computer studies and English courses are available in most centres.

ABE Provincial

At this level, the Ministry of Advanced Education, grants a formal, provincially recognized certificate which is the equivalent, for adults, of high school graduation. Courses at this level in mathematics, sciences, social studies, and English are available in most centres. Students may elect to take one or more courses, or work toward certification.

The BC Adult Graduation Diploma:

“The Adult Dogwood”

To be eligible to graduate from this program, adult students (19 years of age or over) must earn at least 20 credits in the secondary system or complete five courses in the post-secondary system. Courses and credits can be counted from either or both of the following areas:

BC SCHOOL SYTEM SECONDARY- Qualifying Courses			COLLEGE ABE PROGRAM- Qualifying Courses
Language Arts 12	4 crd	or	A Provincial Level English or higher
Mathematics 11 or 12	4 crd	or	An Advanced or Provincial Level or higher Mathematics
Three Grade 12 Ministry-authorized Courses (4 credits each) or	12crd		Three additional courses at the Provincial Level or higher
Social Studies 11 (4 credits) and two Grade 12 Ministry-authorized Courses (4 credits each)	12crd	or	Advanced Social Sciences and two Provincial Level courses or higher
Total: 20 Credits			Total: 5 Courses

Notes

1. To be eligible for the Adult Graduation Diploma, a person must be 19 years or older. An 18-year-old who has been out of school for at least a year may be admitted to an adult program with approval from the enrolling institution.
2. Three courses must be completed through enrollment in a course or Prior Learning Assessment after enrolling in an adult program. Prior Learning Assessment may be used to meet any of the requirements for the Adult Diploma. Prior Learning Assessment involves a variety of techniques including equivalency reviews, challenges processes and in-depth interviews.
3. In the secondary system, provincial exams are optional for students in an adult program. If the student chooses not to write a provincial exam, the grade will be reported with a “Q” code. It should be noted that some post-secondary institutions may not accept examinable courses for admission purposes unless the secondary system provincial exam has been written. Any course that is authorized by either the Ministry of Education (4 credits) or the Ministry of Advanced Education as requirements for graduation may be used towards the BC Adult Graduation Diploma.

Approximate Expenses

Total program expenses are comprised of both College Fees and Program Specific Fees.

Program Courses

Course of Studies

Translation key:

• Crd = Credits
• Ttl = Total course hours

Courses marked as (D) are available via Distance Education.

Course of Studies

Course	Name	Cred	Ttl
Fundamental Courses (Under Grade 10)
English as a Second Language	English as a Second Language Levels 1-3	0	0
Fundamental Computer Studies	Fundamental Computer Studies	0	0
Fundamental English	Fundamental English Levels 1-6	0	0
Fundamental Learning and College Success	Fundamental Learning and College Success	0	0
Fundamental Math	Fundamental Math Levels 1-6	0	0
	Total:	0	0
Course	Name	Cred	Ttl
Intermediate Courses (Grade 10)
CHEM 49	Chemistry - Intermediate Level	0	0
CPST 10	Computer Studies - Intermediate Level	0	0
EASL 049	English as a Second Language - Intermediate Level	0	0
ENGL 10	English - Intermediate Level	0	0
MATH 10	Mathematics - Intermediate Level	0	0
MATH 49	Introductory Algebra - Intermediate Level	0	0
RSS 27	Reading and Study Skills- Intermediate Level	0	0
SCIE 10	Science - Intermediate Level	0	0
SOST 10	Social Studies - Intermediate Level	0	0
	Total:	0	0
Course	Name	Cred	Ttl
Advanced Courses (Grade 11)
BIOL 50	Introduction to Biology - Advanced Level	0	0
CHEM 50	Basic Principles of Chemistry - Advanced Level	0	0
CPST 50	Computer Studies - Advanced Level	0	0
EASL 50	English as a second language - Advanced Level	0	0
EDCP 50	College Success	0	0
ENGL 50	English - Advanced Level	0	0
MATH 50	Algebra and Trigonometry - Advanced Level	0	0
MATH 54	Applied Mathematics - Advanced Level	0	0
PHYS 50	Basic Principles of Physics - Advanced Level	0	0
SOST 50	Social Studies: Global Issues of Culture and Geography - Advanced Level	0	0
	Total:	0	0
Course	Name	Cred	Ttl
Provincial Courses (Grade 12)
BIOL 60	Biology - Provincial Level	0	0
CHEM 60	Chemistry - Provincial Level	0	0
CPST 60	Computer Studies - Provincial Level	0	0
EDCP 60	Education Planning and Career Development - Provincial Level	0	0
ENGL 60	Canadian Literature - Provincial Level	0	0
ENGL 64	British Literature - Provincial Level	0	0
ENGL 65	English: Business and Technical Communication - Provincial Level	0	0
HIST 60	History - Provincial Level	0	0
MATH 60	Algebra and Trigonometry - Provincial Level	0	0
PHYS 60	Physics - Provincial Level	0	0
SOST 60	Social Sciences - Provincial Level	0	0
	Total:	0	0