Welcome to the new school year – I hope you enjoyed a safe and restful summer. Whether your
child is entering Kindergarten or nearing graduation, it’s a great time to be a student in B.C.’s
education system.
New this year, all students in the province will be learning from B.C.’s new curriculum and
working towards completing the new Graduation Program and assessments, with the K-12
curriculum redesign process now complete. Students now have more opportunities to explore
their passions and engage in inquiries and hands-on activities as they develop their foundational
skills and knowledge. In the graduation years, students will have a range of new course options
in areas such as environmental science, web development, digital media, engineering and
robotics, giving them the chance to develop the skills they need to pursue their individual goals.
We are committed to true and lasting reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, and education is a
key part of that. Indigenous students deserve culturally relevant services and programs, and all
students have something to gain from an education that includes Indigenous cultures and
perspectives. First Nations partners have helped us ensure the new curriculum accurately and
fairly reflects the rich history of Indigenous Peoples in B.C., across all grades and subjects.
Parents know better than anyone that kids today are facing challenges we never imagined when it
comes to social media, mental health and other challenges. All students deserve the best
educational experience possible in healthy, positive and safe schools. We’ve expanded the
ERASE (Expect Respect and a Safe Education) strategy to focus on mental health and wellness,
substance use, social media safety, gang prevention and supporting students of all sexual
orientations and gender identities.
All students in B.C. will have access to free menstrual products in school washrooms this year –
ensuring stigma free access so that students don’t miss school, extracurricular, sports or social
activities because they can’t afford menstrual products.
Students are returning to an education system that has more resources than ever before. Our
government is investing $1 billion more in education than just three years ago. They will attend
some of the smallest classes in a generation, with more educators and others supports in the
classroom. And we’ve invested over $1.5 billion in new schools, expansions and seismic
upgrades to ensure our kids are learning in safe, modern and comfortable schools.