What if a student wants to take a gap year

After learning about the chaos caused by COVID-19 across the country, students in their final year of high school may be considering taking a year off rather than moving on to secondary school and beyond.

During what is known as a “gap year,” students pause between graduating from high school and proceeding to secondary school.

Michelle Dittmer, president and co-founder of the Canadian Gap Year Association, says the number of students requesting a year-long vacation is growing exponentially.

“That number is skyrocketing,” she told CTV’s Your Morning on Tuesday. It really opened the door and opened people’s minds to alternative paths and what young people need.”

During the lockdown, the pandemic created a lot of tension for young people who may be struggling with mental health, academic and personal issues. Students are on leave of absence for one year for post-secondary expenses.

“Their biggest concern right now is finance,” she said. “So the pressure of being able to work for a year, earn money, and reduce student debt in the long run really appeals to them.”

A year of vacation can be filled with opportunities to invest in hobbies and activities you may have missed during the pandemic.

“They can achieve academic grades, but socially they don’t have the full complement of skill sets to succeed in college, college, and in life,” she said. I got

According to Dittmer, it’s not uncommon for parents to worry about gap years and not realize the potential benefits of taking them.

“Parents incorporate their own lived experiences into their parenting styles, but it hasn’t always been part of their journey,” she said.

Dittmer believes that a gap year is an alternative before finishing secondary school and can make some parents feel like they’re failing.

“Parents are not vulnerable to peer pressure,” she said.

Hearing about other young people with post-secondary education, or young people who started their careers while their own young people were on vacation for a year, can give rise to feelings of judgment. , explained Dittmer.

“Sometimes those pieces really take over us,” she said.

The biggest concern for parents is that their students will not go on to secondary school.

“I’ve been doing this for over 15 years, and the stats are in your favor because they also show that 81% to 90% go back to post-secondary school,” Dittmer said.

About 25% of families participating in the Canadian Gap Year Association want their students to take a year off, and parents fear their students aren’t ready to take the next step. Sometimes I think that it is not.

Focusing on what a young person can accomplish or work on over a year’s vacation is a useful way to outline what a gap year might look like.