The Office of the Commissioner for Teacher Regulation has released its annual report, which includes a statistical review of educator-related complaints, reports and investigations from 2018-19.  

The report covers the period from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019, and shows the overall number of investigations is steady. The number of complaints and commissioner-initiated investigations in the public-school system was 142 (up by one) for the 2018-19 school year. The number of reports received about independent school teachers went up to 17 (up by six) for the 2018-19 school year. Complaints received about public school teachers went up (plus 15) and complaints against independent school teachers went down slightly (minus one).

The commissioner oversees the discipline process for certified educators in B.C. in the public and independent school systems, reviews the conduct and competence of educators in B.C. and helps enforce the standards for educators. The British Columbia Commissioner for Teacher Regulation is Howard Kushner, who was appointed to a five-year term in March 2018.

In the report, the commissioner congratulated the BC Teachers’ Council on its revisions to the professional standards, which have been updated to reflect the new curriculum and to further enhance concepts of diversity and inclusion in classrooms. A new professional standard has also been added that addresses the role of educators in the truth, reconciliation and healing process and the importance of embedding Indigenous world views, cultures and histories in B.C. classrooms.

Learn More:

The Commissioner for Teacher Regulation’s annual reports can be found here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/organizational-structure/ministries-organizations/boards-commissions-tribunals/commissioner-for-teacher-regulation

Standards for educators: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/teach/standards-for-educators