DM Bulletin – April 17, 2026 – Deputy Minister's Bulletin

Friday April 17, 2026

**Kaye Krishna**
Deputy Minister of Education and Child Care

It was great to see some of you at the B.C. School Superintendents Association (BCSSA) Spring Forum this week in Vancouver – a timely opportunity to provide some ministry updates with board members.

This week’s bulletin includes an invitation to the first annual Indigenous Education Council (IEC) Chairs’ Gathering.The deadline to register is April 24, and you can find the details on how to participate below.

In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food has developed new videos highlighting how local food producers, farmers and suppliers can be integrated into K-12 school food programs. Using local products are good for farmers and the community and are an opportunity to educate students about how food is grown, raised and distributed to their table.

Have a great weekend.

Kaye

For Action

Registration for May 13 Indigenous Education Council Chairs’ Gathering

For Action

Published Friday April 17 2026

Registration for May 13 Indigenous Education Council Chairs’ Gathering

Registration is now open for the first annual Indigenous Education Council (IEC) Chairs’ Gathering. The IEC Chairs’ Gathering will be held on May 13 from 9 am – 3 pm at the Radisson Hotel in Richmond. Each IEC may send their IEC chair to attend the meeting.

Room reservations are prioritized on a first come, first served basis and should be reserved by April 24, 2026 to guarantee a room in the room block. If additional room nights are needed, call 604-279-8384 and reference the Indigenous Education Council Chairs’ Gathering on May 13.

This will be an opportunity to come together to discuss effective implementation of IECs to support improved outcomes and attendance for First Nations students in B.C. public schools, in alignment with the School Act Amendments and Ministerial Order.

Please see the invitation for further details, the agenda will be provided closer to the date.

Indigenous Education Leads
Reminder to Remit Annual Practice Fee for Certificate Holders – due May 15

For Action

Published Friday April 17 2026

Reminder to Remit Annual Practice Fee for Certificate Holders – due May 15

Under section 37 (annual practice fee) of the Teachers Act, employers are required to remit to the ministry the $95 annual practice fee that is deducted from the wage of certificate holders employed with the board. Please review the information in News & Notices in the Employers’ Area and follow the payroll-deduction instructions to ensure you remit the 2026-27 fees before May 15, 2026. If you have any questions, please email trb.employers@gov.bc.ca or call 236-455-1872.

Secretary-Treasurers
Post-Secondary Institution Selections for 2026 Graduates

For Action

Published Friday April 17 2026

Post-Secondary Institution Selections for 2026 Graduates

Please remind graduating students to make their post-secondary institution selections in the StudentTranscripts Service (STS). Most public colleges and universities in Alberta and B.C., and the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre, can retrieve ongoing transcript updates as soon as authorized by the student in STS. More information is available online.

Principals & Vice Principals|School Counsellors

For Information

Local Food in School Food Programs Video Series

For Information

Published Friday April 17 2026

Local Food in School Food Programs Video Series

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food has developed a new Local Food In K-12 video series to highlight local food in school food programs. Check out the video series on the Feed BC in K–12 web page to see how school districts throughout the province are strengthening their school food programs by sourcing B.C. foods, building partnerships with local producers and processors, and engaging students in hands-on learning about local food, agriculture and food systems.

The series highlights practical examples of how schools are integrating local food into their programs while supporting student learning and their local communities.

Directors of Instruction|Indigenous Education Leads|Principals & Vice Principals
Learning in Motion – Free Physical Education Activities and Lesson Planning Resources
For Information

Published Friday April 17 2026

Learning in Motion – Free Physical Education Activities and Lesson Planning Resources

The Learning in Motion program is a school-based health promotion initiative to support First Nation schools and elementary school educators (K-7) in building their knowledge, skills and confidence in delivering quality physical activity and physical literacy opportunities during the school day, with the goal of increasing student physical activity levels.

Explore the links below to access Learning in Motion’s free physical education activities and lesson planning resources:
- Learning in Motion Program Website – hosts free classroom resources for educators to view, download and print (posters, activity sheets, assessment tools) that align with the Physical Education and Health Curriculum.
- PLAYBuilder Tool – a free digital platform that provides B.C. educators with 1,600+ activities/games and videos, 150+ lesson plans and a term planning tool for grades K-7.
Principals & Vice Principals
Prefabricated Classroom Program Update

For Information

Published Friday April 17 2026

Prefabricated Classroom Program Update

The Ministry of Infrastructure will be engaging with school districts in the coming months to support the development and implementation of a centralized procurement approach for the prefabricated classroom program.

This will be an evolution of the existing prefabricated classroom initiative that has been in place since fall of 2023. It will help deliver consistent, efficient and cost-effective solutions to address the need for additional classroom space throughout B.C.

Facility Leads|Secretary-Treasurers
Revised Letter of Permission Policy

For Information

Published Friday April 17 2026

Revised Letter of Permission Policy

A Letter of Permission (LOP) is an authorization that allows an uncertified person to teach in a particular school district or independent school authority or for a First Nations School. Generally, the Director of Certification issues an LOP for one school year. Beginning in May 2026, and in limited circumstances, the Director of Certification may issue an LOP for up to three years where there is evidence that the services of an uncertified teacher are likely to be required for more than one year. The updated LOP policy and employer form will be available online in early May.

Principals & Vice Principals
Newly Revised Everyday Anxiety Strategies for K-7 Educators (EASE)

For Information

Published Friday April 17 2026

Newly Revised Everyday Anxiety Strategies for K-7 Educators (EASE)

The Ministry of Children and Family Development has completed a revision of Everyday Anxiety Strategies for Educators (EASE) for educators supporting K-7 students, in collaboration with B.C. educators, families, and experts on childhood anxiety. In response to educator feedback and to ensure its ongoing relevance, EASE K-7 was revised to reflect current themes in B.C. education, the First Peoples Principles of Learning, diversity and inclusion principles and includes new and updated resources and strategies for understanding and managing everyday (mild to moderate) anxiety that can be easily woven into everyday practice. These resources support the Mental Health in Schools Strategy and government’s overall commitment to prevention and early intervention supports for children, youth and families. For more information, please view the infographic and visit MCFD’s HealthyMindsBC website.

Directors of Instruction|District SOGI Leads|Early Learning and Child Care Leads|French Language Leads|Inclusive Education Leads|Indigenous Education Leads|Mental Health Leads|Principals & Vice Principals

All school district reporting requirements are available in the online reporting calendar. The following reporting requirements are due to the ministry in the next few weeks:

April 17, 2026
Event-Driven Reporting – March

April 28, 2026
June Graduation Assessment Registrations – Opening Date

April 30, 2026
Employment Data and Analysis System – April

April 30, 2026
Student Achievement Data Exchange – April

April 30, 2026
Annual Practice Fee Deduction

May 15, 2026
Annual Facility Grant Expenditure Plans

May 15, 2026
Student Data Collection (1701) – May

May 15, 2026
Annual Practice Fee Remittance

Friday April 17, 2026

For Action

Registration for May 13 Indigenous Education Council Chairs’ Gathering

Registration for May 13 Indigenous Education Council Chairs’ Gathering

Reminder to Remit Annual Practice Fee for Certificate Holders – due May 15

Reminder to Remit Annual Practice Fee for Certificate Holders – due May 15

Post-Secondary Institution Selections for 2026 Graduates

Post-Secondary Institution Selections for 2026 Graduates

For Information

Local Food in School Food Programs Video Series

Local Food in School Food Programs Video Series

Learning in Motion – Free Physical Education Activities and Lesson Planning Resources

Learning in Motion – Free Physical Education Activities and Lesson Planning Resources

Prefabricated Classroom Program Update

Prefabricated Classroom Program Update

Revised Letter of Permission Policy

Revised Letter of Permission Policy

Newly Revised Everyday Anxiety Strategies for K-7 Educators (EASE)

Newly Revised Everyday Anxiety Strategies for K-7 Educators (EASE)

School District Reporting Requirements

News Releases

Additional Resources

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