Families and more pre-kindergarten children will soon have their early learning opportunities enhanced as the Just B4 early childhood education program expands from one to six districts this school year.

Further pandemic supports are coming for B.C. students and schools, with 300,000 rapid antigen test kits to be delivered in phases.

This week, 200,000 rapid antigen test kits are being shipped to the kindergarten-to-Grade 12 (K-12) sector for use by staff, teachers and administrators with symptoms of COVID-19.

Students, teachers and support staff will be better supported this year with an additional $204 million in operating and special grants being distributed to public school districts from the Government of B.C.

Premier John Horgan, Rachna Singh, Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism Initiatives, and Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Education, have released the following statement in celebration of Black Excellence Day:

Francophone elementary students, teachers and staff in Greater Victoria are now learning and working in a temporary modular school on the Braefoot Elementary site in Saanich.

A full return to school for students in kindergarten to Grade 12 will be delayed until Monday, Jan. 10, in order to give public health and B.C. schools additional time to adapt to the impacts of the Omicron variant on communities and schools, and to implement enhanced safety plans to support the continuation of in-class learning.  

First Nations participating in the education jurisdiction initiative in B.C. will soon be able to certify and regulate teachers who work in schools under their jurisdiction.

Guidelines have been developed to support school boards and independent school authorities in their decisions on implementing vaccine requirements for their employees.