"We are looking forward to welcoming our first student from Kyrgyzstan this year."
- Geoff Best, OCENET Executive Director
OCENET and the OCDSB now welcome more than 300 new international students each year, and that number has grown at approximately 10% per year over the past decade. OCENET has made concerted efforts to grow gradually and sustainably by recruiting students from all corners of the world, as indicated by the pinpoints on the world map for this year’s students.
OCENET attends recruiting fairs and has accredited close to 200 agents worldwide to recruit students to attend OCDSB schools. The public school board is a preferred destination for international students because of our system’s excellent reputation and the city of Ottawa being Canada’s capital in a safe and multicultural environment.
As of November, 91% of our international students attended 19 high schools and the remaining 9% attended a total of 21 elementary schools.
Some international students stay for one semester or a year, while many graduate from OCDSB schools and continue their post-secondary education in Canada.
The students bring an intercultural dimension that enriches our schools and adds valuable revenues to the OCDSB which are used to enhance facilities, support student learning, hire teachers, and provide professional development opportunities.