Parents protest suspension of admissions to Vancouver School Board's gifted learners program

Dozens of people gathered outside of the Vancouver School Board's office Wednesday to protest the suspension of admissions to a program for gifted and neurodiverse students.

The Transition Program for Gifted Students (TPGS) – funded by the Ministry of Education and Child Care, and hosted and staffed by VSB on the University of British Columbia campus – is a two-year academically accelerated program that helps students enter a post-secondary institution early.

Parents say it also helps with social skills and mental health issues, with which gifted students often struggle.

Earlier this year, a notice was sent out saying that an external review of the program would be conducted, and that intake for the 2024-25 school year would be stopped.

“I don’t think it’s fair, and I don’t think it’s transparent enough,” said Julia Du, who has a child in the program.

“It’s very important for my boy,” she added. “Many gifted kids are struggling."

Du said her son suffered with emotional and social issues in elementary school before her family heard about the TPGS.

“I can see a huge change in him, he’s getting mature, he knows how to handle those social things that he used to find difficult,” she said.

Alyona Glazyr, who graduated from the program in 2019 and is currently on pace to graduate with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from UBC this spring, says she wouldn’t be where she is without the program.

“I previously hadn’t connected well with the educational community that I was in,” she said. “The program really gave me that community and foundation that I really meshed with."

In a statement to CTV News, the VSB said:

“The ministry, VSB and UBC are committed to providing safe, caring and inclusive learning environments. Several concerns have been brought to the attention of the ministry, VSB and UBC about the program. Given the nature of the concerns raised, the ministry and VSB, in consultation with UBC, made the decision to pause admission into the TPGS for the September 2024-25 intake to allow time for completion of the program review and examination of recommended changes."

"No decisions about the future of the program will be made until the program review is complete. The program will continue to operate for students who are currently enrolled; however, there will be no new admissions for the 2024-25 school year. We believe this is the right decision given the serious nature of the concerns raised.” 

The VSB did not elaborate on the nature of the "concerns" raised about the program, but a statement from the ministry refers to those same issues as "significant concerns raised about interactions within the school community that have impacted the mental health and well-being of some students."

Neither agency shared any specific allegations.