Beginning in September 2013, the Provincial Awards Program will be revised to provide school districts with greater flexibility and better align with the BC Education Plan.

The revisions will phase out the Passport to Education over the next three years. This change coincides with our ongoing development of district/authority awards, where students will have more areas to qualify for post-secondary awards and scholarships.

These areas will better align with the goals of the BC Education Plan and allow more students to be recognized for their unique interests like trades, Aboriginal languages, volunteer activity or technology education. Within these broad categories, districts will have greater discretion to locally manage allocations, tailoring their decisions to the unique demographics of their community.

The Passport to Education Program will be phased out starting with Grade 10 in 2013, Grade 11 in 2014 and Grade 12 in 2015. Students who have already earned Passports to Education in their grade 10, 11 or 12 year will still receive their award. No new Passports will be awarded to incoming Grade 10 students.

The Passport to Education Program was outdated and administratively complex to deliver. Additional work and consultations will occur over the coming year to further define the categories and award allocation process. The Graduation Program Examination Scholarship, the Secondary School Apprenticeship, and the Pathway to Teacher Education Scholarship still will be offered.

Contact:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Education
250 356-5963