[Vancouver, BC – September 17, 2024] – The British Columbia School Trustees Association (BCSTA) has taken significant steps in its advocacy plan leading up to the 2024 election. This plan underscores BCSTA’s commitment to improving public education across British Columbia through strategic advocacy on pivotal issues.
At BCSTA’s 2024 Annual General Meeting, trustees from all 60 school boards across the province approved a series of resolutions aimed at addressing critical areas in public education. BCSTA has now formally communicated the following priorities to key government officials through detailed advocacy letters.
Recruitment and Retention of Staff
Eliminate Employment Barriers: BCSTA called on the Minister of Education and Child Care, alongside the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, to address the significant challenges faced by Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) and Education Assistants (EAs). These challenges include the high costs of education and training, limited access to training programs, insufficient financial assistance and a lack of professional development opportunities. Addressing these barriers is essential to building a more diverse and inclusive workforce, enhancing student outcomes, and strengthening the overall public education system.
Human Resources Capacity in Rural and Remote Communities: BCSTA is calling on the provincial and federal governments to address and improve human resources capacity in rural and remote districts, especially in northern regions. BCSTA stresses the growing challenges in recruiting and retaining qualified staff in these areas, which have long struggled with shortages. BCSTA calls for targeted support to alleviate these issues and provide necessary relief.
Capital and Deferred Maintenance Funding
BCSTA has provided the provincial government with a detailed appeal concerning capital and deferred maintenance funding. The primary requests outlined in the letter include:
Increased Annual Facilities Grant: BCSTA urged the Ministry of Finance to enhance the Annual Facilities Grant. This funding is vital in managing the growing costs of deferred maintenance, improving facility accessibility, ensuring student safety and extending the lifespan of school infrastructure.
Equitable Capital Funding: BCSTA is advocating for a significant increase in capital funding to address the pressing needs for replacing and renovating aging school facilities, particularly in remote, rural, and disaster-prone regions.
Maintenance Support for Portables: BCSTA has requested that additional maintenance funding be allocated to school districts that rely on aging portables to accommodate enrolment growth.
BCSTA emphasizes the critical need for these funding increases to tackle the unsustainable backlog of maintenance issues, which jeopardizes student safety and hampers learning environments.
Additionally, BCSTA has called on Minister Singh regarding capital funding for projected enrollment growth and is calling for a comprehensive review and reform of the school construction funding and approval process to better align with rapid population growth.
Funding for Temporary Resident Registrations: BCSTA has also contacted The Honourable David Eby, Premier of British Columbia, regarding the funding of temporary resident student registrations and is calling on the Ministry of Education and Child Care to provide funding for students who enrol after September 30th. Students who enrol after September 30 are not counted by government and these costs are unfunded and downloaded to the district. This funding gap has significant implications for school board budgets and requires immediate action to ensure equitable resource allocation.
Support for Rural and Remote Communities: BCSTA is calling on the government to establish a Northern, Rural, and Remote Teacher Bursary in support of rural and remote communities. This initiative will address the severe teacher shortages in these areas by providing targeted financial support to attract students to educational opportunities in remote areas.
Inclusive Education and Student Success
BCSTA has advocated for targeted federal funding to support programs for new immigrant and refugee students who are English and/or French Language Learners. This support is crucial as British Columbia experiences rising immigration and migration levels, which increases the demand in districts to support these students’ success.
Additionally, BCSTA has advocated for fully funding neurodiverse awareness training for current and future education professionals. This training is essential for fostering a more inclusive educational environment and ensuring that all students receive the support they need.
BCSTA has proposed new funding to ensure playgrounds are accessible for all children. Fully funding support for students with special education designations will address the funding shortfalls currently impacting school districts.
These issues are central to public education and improving both learning and working conditions across our communities. BCSTA is committed to these priorities during the 2024 election and beyond, with a continued emphasis on the need for staff, increased inclusivity and necessary investments in our public education system.
It is vital that the community unites and votes for candidates who recognize that investing in education is investing in the future.
“At BCSTA, our commitment to enhancing public education is unwavering. We are calling on the government to address the critical staffing shortages by improving recruitment and retention strategies, especially in rural and remote areas. We also stress the urgent need for increased funding to manage deferred maintenance, support new capital projects, and address the financial gaps in temporary resident registrations. Moreover, fostering inclusivity remains a cornerstone of our advocacy, and we urge full funding for programs supporting neurodiverse students and accessible education for all children. These steps are essential to creating a robust, equitable, and inclusive education system for every student across British Columbia,” said Carolyn Broady, President of the Board of Directors for the BCSTA.
-30-
For a comprehensive review of BCSTA’s full advocacy efforts and letters, please visit: https://bcsta.org/advocacy/
Please contact Monique Atwal, Manager of Advocacy and Public Relations at matwal@bcsta.org for any media inquiries.
About BCSTA
Since 1905, the British Columbia School Trustees Association (BCSTA) has been dedicated to serving and supporting public boards of education across British Columbia. As a non-profit organization, our mission is to assist school boards in their governance roles, advocate for effective educational policies, and foster collaboration among trustees. We provide resources, training, and support to help school boards fulfill their responsibilities and enhance student learning outcomes. Our commitment is to ensure that every student in B.C. benefits from strong, effective leadership in their local education system. Through our efforts, we aim to strengthen public education and contribute to the success of schools and communities throughout the province.
To learn more about BCSTA and the 2024 election, please visit: www.bcsta.org.
Learn more about why Education Matters in our upcoming provincial election and download BCSTA’s Provincial Election Advocacy Kit for boards here.