The following facts provide a snapshot of British Columbia's education system.

Enrolment and schools

• There are 1,566 public schools and 360 independent schools in B.C.
• Pending final enrolment count in fall 2018, it is estimated that there will be 538,821 funded public school students in the 2018-19 school year. This would be an increase of 1,737 students since 2017 (school-aged and adult, funded full-time equivalent students).
• Based on student head-count in the 2017-18 school year, there were:
  • 69,685 students with special needs in the province — 3,020 more than the year before
  • 70,487 Indigenous students in the province — 1,299 fewer than the year before
  • 67,375 English language learning (ELL) students in the province — 1,092  more than the year before
  • 5,940 francophone students in the province — 249 more than the year before
  • 54,063 French immersion students in the province — 295 more than the year before
  • 84,995 independent school students — 1,525  more than the year before

Achievement – six-year completion rate 2016-17

• 84% of all public school students are completing high school.
• 87% of English language learners in public schools are completing high school.
• 99% of francophone students in Conseil Scolaire Francophone School Board are completing high school.
• 96% of French immersion students in public schools are completing high school.
• 66% of all Indigenous students in public schools are completing high school.

Investments in learning

• $6.6 billion for K-12 education this year, and $2 billion in seismic upgrades and school construction over the next three years.
• In the 15 months of the current government, operating funding was increased by over $580 million.
• Government invested close to $420 million in the classroom-enhancement fund last year to hire up to 3,700 new teachers and specialty teachers in classrooms throughout British Columbia. A similar investment for the 2018-19 school year is expected.
• Funding to schools in B.C. for students with special needs is approximately $1 billion in the 2018-19 school year, including basic student funding and supplemental funding.
• School districts receive $53 million through CommunityLINK and $11.2 million via the vulnerable student supplement each year to help them fund programs that support vulnerable children and youth.

Learning environment

Government will invest a record $2 billion in school capital projects over the next three years.

• Since September 2017, government has announced 33 school capital projects, for a total investment of $638.4 million.
• This includes 15 new or upgraded schools and site purchases for future schools and 18 seismic upgrades or replacements.
• These projects will create 4,630 new student spaces and 9,854 seismically safer seats.
• Government has created a new, ongoing $5-million annual playground equipment fund for school districts to buy new or replacement playground equipment. This will reduce the need to for parents to fundraise for needed school playgrounds.
• This year, 26 schools received $90,000 for a standard playground and 25 schools received $105,000 for a universally accessible playground.