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Here, students control the pace of learning听鈥� not teachers. They decide what they want to work on each day, set their own deadlines and can create their own assignments, all while still meeting provincial curriculum requirements.

Mary Ward, on Kennedy Road near Finch Avenue East in Scarborough, is the only regular school in Toronto听鈥� and among about half a dozen across Canada听鈥� that is fully .听厂辞尘别听alternative programs and teachers in traditional settings have adopted elements of this approach, but few other regular schools have wholly embraced it.

Principal Michael Wetzel says the instinct amongst educators is to default to traditional schooling, with teachers controlling the flow of information.听But he says it doesn’t have to be that way.

鈥淓ducation needs to be overhauled in a big way and Mary Ward already did it,鈥澨齢e told the Star, which recently visited the school of about 950 students.

What does it take to succeed here?

Inside the biology lab, Anasemon Ibrahim is working with friends on an experiment about digestive enzymes. She hopes learning to juggle a heavy workload, manage her time and work independently will better prepare her for university.

She cites the “best” thing about the school is the choice of when to write a test. On the flip side, she notes that without due dates it’s easy to fall behind.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e not a procrastinator and you can stay on track, then this school is for you,” she said. “But if not, it鈥檚 going to be a bit hard.”

Notably, Mary Ward has a higher attrition rate than others听in the 海角社区官网Catholic District School Board because of the program.

鈥淚 know a lot of really, really smart kids that go into Mary Ward 鈥� but they don鈥檛 have the work ethic to back that up and then they end up transferring out,鈥� says Chantle Jovellanos, also in Grade 11. 鈥淢ary Ward is a school where you can鈥檛 take your foot off the gas听鈥� you need to always, always work harder to improve yourself.鈥�

She says self-discipline is crucial, especially because she can sit next to her friends all day听鈥斕齮here’s no听need to wait for lunch or spare to meet up听鈥� and听pass听the time chatting and laughing.

鈥淵ou have to make that choice to separate yourself ... (to) just completely zone out, put on your headphones, and just work.”

How does a self-directed school function?

It听takes time to understand how the school functions听鈥� several teachers say when they started it took them months to wrap their heads around it.

All incoming students are assigned a teacher advisor (TA), a mentor of sorts who monitors their progress throughout high school.

Every TA advises about 18 students and meets with the group several times daily, beginning first thing in the morning to review how kids plan to spend their day. TAs are in regular contact with students’ teachers and every couple of weeks, they meet individually with kids to discuss how they’re doing. After that meeting, a report is sent to parents containing marks, progress and information about upcoming tests. (Once kids grasp a concept and are ready to听be assessed, the teacher issues a test certificate. Students choose when to go to the test centre, a large room run by instructional assistants who know which test to administer based on the certificate. Final exams, however, are written on set dates.)听听听

Courses are divided into 18 units with target dates. If teens don鈥檛 finish the work by June, they can attend a summer school run by Mary Ward.

The TAs 鈥渕ake you feel like you can do it,鈥� says Jissica Maher in Grade 11, adding, 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just school, you can talk to the TA about anything.鈥�

After checking in with the TA, students move about the day as they want, choosing where to go for each period and what to work on. For instance, Maher can spend a full day studying just math if she needs, adding, 鈥淚t really makes me feel responsible for what I鈥檓 doing.鈥�

Students follow a set schedule during the first couple of weeks of school so they get to know their teachers, and a few days in the final months, which is when they typically go into high gear to finish course work. Otherwise, they’re on their own.

The school was purpose-built,听so there aren鈥檛 traditional classrooms. Instead, large departmental areas for specific subjects are supervised by teachers, who are on hand to support students if they have questions. Teachers also give scheduled seminars, which more closely resemble a traditional class in that they provide direct instruction.

Wetzel has heard the jokes that Mary Ward is the school where teachers don’t teach, but he says that’s not the case. They’re busy all day, having to constantly pivot and help kids of various grades, working through different material.听

Many students relish the flexibility, including elite athletes, who can leave school early, arrive late or miss chunks of time for training or competitions. Among them is Alexa Fung, a diver on the Canadian junior national team who goes to school once a month.

鈥淚 thought it was super cool that you could just do your own thing,鈥� says the Grade 11 student. “I still have a schedule, it鈥檚 just that I make it up.鈥�

She likes learning at her own pace, saying if she were in a traditional classroom she鈥檇 likely get bored, particularly if she had to sit through a lesson when she already understood the material. She prefers to plough ahead.

鈥淚n elementary school I wasn鈥檛 as outgoing but now that I came to Mary Ward, I’ve forced myself to communicate with adults and ask for help when needed,鈥澨齛dds听Nydel Nelson, who鈥檚 on Guyana鈥檚 Under 20 women鈥檚 national soccer team and also travels for competitions.

Does self-directed learning work?

It鈥檚 difficult to assess the impact of this learning model, but the TCDSB is planning to do some research, connecting with past and present students.

The school has a reputation for high academic achievement, with students outperforming on standardized tests administered by the Education Quality and Accountability Office. For instance, the show Mary Ward students scored about 10 percentage points higher in attaining the provincial standard听鈥� roughly a B grade or better听鈥� on the Grade 9 math test, and high school literacy test, compared with averages from across the board and province.

Wetzel also says there are 鈥渁lmost zero鈥� discipline issues at Mary Ward. Since students of all grades intermingle all day long there鈥檚 no distinction, or hierarchical structure, so there’s less intimidation and bullying, when compared with a typical school. And being free to move about, not confined to a classroom, also helps, he says, pointing out that elsewhere teens are bound to act up if they鈥檙e forced to sit in a class and listen to a teacher when they don鈥檛 want to. (Here students can take a stroll when they want and some routinely do听鈥� kids call them “hall walkers.”)

In general, self-directed learning is great for highly motivated students with good time management skills and who are eager to delve into areas of interest, says Todd Cunningham, an associate professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto.

鈥淚t really allows them to explore a lot more and probably get a lot more learning in the year than if they were sitting in a traditional classroom,鈥� said Cunningham, also a clinical and school psychologist.

John Portelli, professor emeritus from OISE, welcomes more alternative approaches to learning.

鈥淭here is a bias towards these schools听鈥� they are there in the minimum. And I think they should be made more available,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 do not believe in one size fits all听鈥� and the problem with traditional public schooling is that it believes in one size fits all.鈥澨�

In the United States, various private and public schools have adopted this approach over the last 20 years, says Naomi Boyer, chair of the .听

In a skills-based economy, she says, “folks who cannot self-direct their learning, and have ownership over their learning process, are likely not to be as successful in the work world moving forward.”

Mary Ward started in 1985 as a series of portables and the founding principal, Mary Anne O鈥橪eary, introduced self-directed learning, which had听gained popularity in the U.S. and Canada in the 1960s and 1970s.听(Wetzel says many fizzled after bending to the pressures of unions, critics and lack of understanding about the program.)听

Although there was some initial skepticism, when construction started on a new school building, the staff, and board, were on side and it was purposely designed. Doors opened in 1992.

Former history teacher Marg Gardonio, now retired, recalls, 鈥淚t was a very exciting venture听鈥� it鈥檚 kind of taking schooling to the point of education 鈥� I don鈥檛 think we educate much in schools. We school kids.鈥�

鈥淥ur model says (to students) 鈥榊ou’re in charge. You’re the architect of your learning. Go and make some decisions,鈥�”听says John Notten, another former teacher from Mary Ward, also retired.听”鈥� Teenagers can make very bad decisions. So that鈥檚 risky 鈥� Now, when they make good decisions, the benefits are insurmountable.鈥�