The Office of the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia and the BC Achievement Foundation have opened the nomination period for the British Columbia Reconciliation Award. This award celebrates the promise of a shared path to Reconciliation through the incredible work of leaders from all over British Columbia. Nominate an individual or organization today using the BC Reconciliation Award nomination form. The nomination period will close on January 20, 2023.
Friday December 16, 2022
Deputy Minister of Education and Child Care
Hi, everyone. This is the last Deputy Minister’s Bulletin for 2022, so I’d like to take the opportunity to thank you and your teams for all your hard work this past year in supporting B.C.’s students – it’s been quite a year. Looking back on the past twelve months, we have much to be proud of and I thank you for your leadership, perseverance, and good advice. Minister Singh has also prepared letters of appreciation for school staff and for parents and caregivers that we kindly ask you to share on her behalf.
This week’s Bulletin includes information on the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia and the BC Achievement Foundation BC Reconciliation Awards Nominations, Indigenous-focused Graduation Requirement Communications Tools, a reminder to hold the date for the next all Superintendents and Partner Liaison meetings in February, and important information on exemptions to Substance Use Decriminalization on school and child care grounds.
From me and the entire ministry team, have a happy, safe, and restful holiday season, and all the best for the new year. Look for the link to the next Deputy Minister’s Bulletin in your inbox on Friday, January 6, 2023.
Happy Holidays!
Christina
For Action
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All Superintendents Meeting
The next All Superintendents Meeting will take place on Thursday, February 9, 2023, at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver. Registration details will be released in early January 2023. More information will be shared once it becomes available. Please hold this date in your calendar.
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Partner Liaison Meeting
The Partner Liaison Meeting will take place on Friday, February 10, 2023, at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver. Registration details will be released in early January 2023. More information will be shared once it becomes available. Please hold this date in your calendar.
For Information
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Indigenous-focused Graduation Requirement Communications Tools
Please see this letter to Superintendents and K-12 Partners describing additional support resources for the new Indigenous-focused graduation requirement. This includes a video and parent brochure to support conversations with students, parents/caregivers, and staff. For more information, contact GradRequirements@gov.bc.ca.
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Literacy 10 Exemptions for Students Transferring from Another Jurisdiction
Students who begin the B.C. Graduation Program in Grades 11 or 12 are not required to write the Grade 10 Literacy Assessment (LTE10) or Évaluation de littératie de la 10e année – Français langue première (LTP10). The policy applies to Grade 10 Literacy Assessments only. Exemption requests must be submitted to the Ministry of Education and Child Care. For more information please see the Grade 10 Literacy/Littératie de la 10e année exemptions process (PDF) in the Additional Resources section of the Graduation information for administrators web page.
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November 2022 Graduation Assessment Results
The November 2022 Graduation Assessment session results are now available for the Grade 12 Literacy Assessment (LTE12), Évaluation de littératie de la 12e année –Français langue première (LTP12), the Grade 10 Numeracy Assessment (NME10, NMF10) and the Grade 10 Literacy Assessment (LTE10).
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Enrolment Statistics Dashboard
Provincial and district data for 2022/2023 have been added to the Enrolment Statistics Dashboard and can be accessed through the BC K–12 Education Data Portal. Please contact EDUC.ReportingUnit@gov.bc.ca if you have any questions.
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Substance Use Decriminalization
As of January 31, 2023, an exemption to allow for the removal of criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of illicit substances for personal use within British Columbia will come into force. The exemption does not apply to the premises of K–12 schools or licensed child care facilities.
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Copyright Obligations in the Education Sector
A reminder that copying must fall within the scope of the fair dealing exception under s. 29 of the Copyright Act. For more information, please refer to the Council of Ministers of Education’s (CMEC’s) Fair Dealing Guidelines.
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BC Court of Appeal Decision on Indigenous Ceremonies
This week the BC Court of Appeals (BCCA) rendered its decision on a parent’s Charter challenge to a smudging ceremony and hoop dance at a school in SD70 (Pacific Rim) in 2015. The BCCA upheld the lower court’s decision that the ceremony did not interfere with the right to freedom of religion under the Charter and confirmed that public educational institutions can and should be involved in reconciliation efforts. You can find the full decision here.
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Recent Discipline Outcomes
Discipline outcomes are posted to enhance the transparency of the processes and decisions made with respect to complaints and reports about educators. Recently, a summary of an outcome was posted to protect the identity of a student who was harmed, abused or exploited by a teacher. The teacher, whose certificate was cancelled in 2019 for non-payment of fees, agreed to never apply for or be issued a certificate to teach in the K-12 education system.
