Enrolment in independent schools is surging in B.C. and Metro Vancouver, according to an analysis of school data by CTV News.

The surge is raising questions about whether the schools are more attractive to parents, or whether troubles in the public system are pushing families away.

Increases that were thought to have been just a reaction to last year’s teachers strike have held steady this year, with Vancouver and Surrey home to the biggest spikes.

The principal of Star of the Sea School, which saw an increase of more than 30 per cent, said the spike is because their distinct values are appealing to more families.

“I think parents are getting more astute,” Principal Nicole Regush said. “We work really hard to form character in our school.”

But some say the migration of students to private and independent schools has to do with problems in the public system, including overcrowding in Surrey and uncertainty in Vancouver, where some 21 schools are scheduled to close.

“It does make me concerned that public education isn’t as big a priority as we need it to be,” said Farrah Shroff of the Vancouver School Board’s District Parent Advisory Council.

More than 10,000 students entered independent schools across the province in the last six years – 7,000 of those in Metro Vancouver – bringing the total enrolled across B.C. to about 78,000, according to provincial figures.

That was at least in part due to the teachers strike last school year, the data shows. But an increase of almost 2,000 students just in the past year (1,200 in Metro Vancouver) shows the market continues to grow.

Five new independent schools have opened in Vancouver and two in Surrey in the past five years. Independent schools in Surrey enrolled about 3,000 students in that time – more than Vancouver, which enrolled some 2,000 students.

Other independent schools have seen eye-popping increases, with the biggest in the province seen at two Sikh schools.

The Sikh Academy almost quintupled in size, from 131 students to 601. Another major increase can be seen at Guru Angad Dev (GAD) Elementary, which increased almost 14 times, from 34 to 422 students.

Star of the Sea School in White Rock saw a 36 per cent bump in enrolment to 442 students over the past six years thanks to big demand, and a new wing of the Catholic school built in 2010. The school has been growing classroom by classroom and as of this year will be officially full, said Regush.

“It’s wonderful. It’s busy and crazy sometimes but we’re really proud of the work that we do,” she said.

The construction meant that “there are a lot more kids,” said Grade 7 student Olivia Williamson. “But it’s still really close-knit.”

Another Grade 7, Thomas Olson, said, "They had portable classrooms and it was really busy. Now it’s easier to get from place to place. It’s better for kids."

School tuition is about $4,000 a year, but is subsidized for members of the parish and for those who can’t afford it, to levels around $2,200 a year. The school receives about half of the student funding that a public school would receive.

Parent Susie Lang-Gould said she chose the school because she wanted her children to grow in a faith-based community.

“We wanted the values to line up with the values at home,” she said.

That kind of attraction isn’t enough to send children to an independent school on its own, said parent Sandra Trionfo outside of Katzie Elementary in Surrey, which is a new school but is already overcrowded. There are about 722 students crammed into a space designed for about 600.

She said it’s better if a parent can send their child to a local public school. But Katzie's enrolment is just too much, so her two children are going to Langley Christian next year. That school saw a bump from 978 students last year to 1,010 students this year.

“It’s too busy. Pretty unfortunate,” she said.

The map below shows schools with dropping enrolment (red dots) and rising enrolment (green dots). Red markers indicate schools that have closed, purple markers show schools that have recently opened and green markers show schools that have more than doubled in enrolment in the last five years.

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