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.

In recognition of World Teachers’ Day, nominations are now open for the Premier’s Awards for Excellence in Education.

Children and their families throughout British Columbia will continue to benefit from local literacy programs with support from the annual Raise-a-Reader campaign Sept 17-24.  

Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Education, has released the following statement regarding the first day of school: