Survey reveals North Peace Secondary School students feel ‘welcome’ but ‘unprepared’

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. —  Student survey data from a Fort St. John school shows grades 10 and 12 students feel welcome and safe but unprepared for future prospects. 

According to the North Peace Secondary School’s (NPSS) student learning survey for the 2023-24 year, 58 per cent of grade 10 students feel welcome at the school. 

The grade 10 students also said 66 per cent felt safe at school, an increase from 54 per cent the previous year. 

However, only 35 per cent of grade 10 students said they liked school and 38 per cent said they were satisfied their classes were preparing them for jobs in the future and post-secondary education. 

The survey results showed 53 per cent of grade 12 students felt comfortable in the school, but 69 per cent felt safe at the facility.  

Twenty-five per cent of senior students responded to the survey to say school was preparing them for future job prospects and 34 per cent felt prepared for post-secondary education.

During School District 60’s April 7th meeting, NPSS’s vice principal Krista Peregoodoff said grade 10 students likely feel less welcome because they have not been at the school as long as the senior students. 

“Perhaps because they’ve been in the building for the three years, they built those connections, whereas our grade 10s, we still have lots of work to do to help them feel safe and feel belonging at school and welcome,” said Peregoodoff.

Peregoodoff says introducing focus groups aimed at grade 10 students would help identify areas for improvement and provide better support.

“We’re having all of our activities at lunchtime, so students can feel like they have a place to go,” said Peregoodoff.