Strategic Context

Like any large organization, the Ministry of Education is influenced by the social, economic, and contextual factors that are part of everyday life in British Columbia. Factors such as the number and location of students, an aging population, labour relations, children’s health, and the special needs of children all impact the education system.

Examination of the Ministry’s risks and opportunities helps to identify those factors that are likely to affect the Ministry’s success in achieving its goals, and allows the Ministry to take advantage of opportunities or to take steps to minimize negative impacts.

Social Factors

• British Columbia’s students perform very well compared to other Canadian and international jurisdictions.
• Despite this overall high performance, the education system does not perform well in serving some groups — Aboriginal students are the most visible example. There is still a significant difference in the achievement levels of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students.
• Shifting Enrolment⁴ — Between 1997/98 and 2007/08, enrolment in the K-12 education system has declined by approximately 56,000⁵ students. Despite this decline, there has been a trend toward increasing enrolment in year-round learning opportunities as evidenced by enrolment in online learning, courses offered in the summer, and adult education.

• The number of children identified in special needs categories that qualify for supplemental funding has increased by more than 2,300 in the last five years (from 19,272 in 2003/04 to 21,612 in 2007/08).
• There are a significant number of children (29.6 per cent) who are not ready for school when they start Kindergarten — this results in students who are likely to have difficulty in school in the future.⁶
• A growing number of our students require English as a Second Language (ESL) services — an additional 3,400 students between 2002/03 and 2006/07.
• Over one million adult British Columbians, approximately 40 per cent, do not have the ability to understand and employ printed information in daily activities, according to the International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey.⁷
• In the 1998/99 National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, more than one-third of Canadian children were classified as overweight and 18 per cent as obese.⁸

Economic Factors

• B.C.’s economy is booming and as a result, skilled trades workers are in high demand. This factor may have an impact on the secondary school completion rate, transition to post-secondary education and the skills that are required of workers to participate in the workforce.
• Alberta and British Columbia have an agreement to remove barriers to trade, investment and labour mobility between the two provinces. The agreement creates the second-largest economic region in Canada.⁹

Contextual Factors

• The Transformative Change Accord was signed by the Government of British Columbia, the First Nations Leadership Council and the Government of Canada in November 2005. The accord sets out to close the social and economic gap that exists between First Nations and other British Columbians in health, housing, education and economic opportunities.
• The Province of B.C., the First Nations Education Steering Committee and Canada signed the Education Jurisdiction Framework Agreement in July 2006. Through this agreement, and subsequent Federal enabling legislation, Canada has recognized First Nations’ power to make laws over education on their own lands. B.C.’s legislation formally recognizes that right and enables boards of education and independent schools to enter into education agreements with participating First Nations.
• British Columbia is seeking to expand Canada’s gateway to the Pacific by building stronger relationships with Asia-Pacific nations though initiatives such as inter-modal transportation links, cultural exchange opportunities, and educational partnerships.
• The Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC)¹⁰ serves as an intergovernmental forum for provinces and territories to represent the national and international education interests of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories. British Columbia is the lead on literacy, one of CMEC’s three Pan-Canadian priorities.
• British Columbia is also the lead province of the Joint Consortium for School Health (JCSH)¹¹ until 2010. The goal of the JCSH, established in August 2005 by provincial and territorial ministries and federal departments, is to strengthen the capacities of health, education, and other systems and agencies in school health promotion.

The Ministry of Education, together with its partners, is continuing to address these social, economic and contextual factors by striving to improve student achievement, creating and supporting a high quality education system and improving literacy for all British Columbians.