Service Delivery and Core Business Areas
The roles and responsibilities of the Ministry and its partners are set out under the School Act, the Teaching Profession Act, the Independent School Act, the Library Act and accompanying regulations. This section details how the Ministry carries out its roles and responsibilities to accomplish its purpose.
Service Delivery
1. Public Schools
The Provincial Government exercises legislative authority over the public education system through the School Act and its subordinate legislation. The Minister of Education,10 whose role and responsibilities are set out in the School Act, has legislative authority to supervise and monitor the K – 12 school system, and to fund schools in a cost-effective manner. The Minister advises Cabinet on all matters relating to education, and is responsible to the Legislature for the performance of the Ministry. Collectively, the Government is held accountable for its performance through the electoral system.
The School Act sets out the rights and responsibilities of students, parents, teachers, principals, school district officials, school boards, and the Minister of Education. The Act allows for local decision-making by empowering 60 school boards (including one francophone authority) to administer public school legislation and regulations. Under the Act, school boards are responsible for designing and providing educational programs that reflect the aspirations of the local community, and for the management and operation of schools in the district.
Each of the 60 school districts has a superintendent, who is responsible for the general organization, administration, supervision and evaluation of all educational programs, and for the operation of schools in the district. The superintendent is accountable to the school board and on some matters, to the Minister of Education.
The Ministry's Accountability Framework11 focuses school and school board attention and resources on improving student achievement. All school boards, in accordance with the Framework, are accountable to the Government and the public for their students' achievement. The Ministry determines an appropriate and unique response to each district not meeting its obligations. This may include: further review and monitoring of district work; ongoing engagement with the district to build capacity; or the use of legislation to address issues.
| 10 | The Minister of Education (and Minister Responsible for Early Learning and Literacy) is also referred to as “the Minister” and “the Minister of Education.” |
| 11 | For more information on the Accountability Framework, please visit: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/policy/policies/accountability_framework.htm. |
2. Independent Schools
The Inspector of Independent Schools is responsible for the administration of the Independent School Act, regulations and Minister's Orders. The inspector classifies and inspects independent schools, ensures schools meet Independent School Act requirements, certifies teachers applying for independent school teacher certification, administers the offshore school certification program, and sets independent school distributed learning policies. Independent schools are governed by boards of directors, which are similar in function to public school boards.
The Office of the Inspector of Independent Schools has a comprehensive external evaluation and inspection process to ensure compliance with the Independent School Act. Certified and funded Group 1 and 2 independent schools and certified Group 4 independent schools have a higher level of compliance and accountability than non-funded Group 3 independent schools.12
3. Early Learning
Current research13 confirms the crucial nature of development, particularly brain development, in the early years and its effects on learning, behaviour and health in later stages of life. In partnership with the Ministry of Children and Family Development and the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education works to improve outcomes for early learners through programs, initiatives, supporting families and raising awareness (through, for example, "Success by 6"14 and "Raise a Reader"15). The Ministry is also beginning work to develop standards to guide the practice of all organizations offering early learning programs to children younger than school age.
| 12 | Independent schools are classified into one of four Groups, and the amount of provincial regulation, funding and entitlements varies among the four Groups. Group 1 and 2 independent schools (as defined in the Independent School Act) are eligible to receive government grants. The primary operating grant given to Group 1 and 2 independent schools is determined by the number of qualifying students enrolled in the school. Group 1 schools receive 50 per cent and Group 2 schools receive 35 per cent of the local district’s per-student grant amount for each qualifying student. In addition, recent policy changes have resulted in the Ministry of Education fully funding Special Education grants. |
| 13 | Reversing the Brain Drain: Early Years Study — Final Report, 1999, Co-chaired by Hon. Margaret Norrie McCain & J. Fraser Mustard (funded by the Ontario Children’s Secretariat) |
| 14 | For more information on Success By 6, please visit: http://www.uwfv.bc.ca/successx6.htm. |
| 15 | For more information, please visit: http://www.canada.com/national/features/raiseareader/resources.html. |
4. Literacy
In British Columbia, the Ministry of Education has the lead for improving literacy across all segments of society, from young children to seniors. Through partnerships with communities, school boards and libraries, as well as other ministries, agencies and organizations, the Ministry is working to develop and promote reading as the foundation of literacy and as a crucial life skill in every learner across our province. The Ministry also has responsibility for co-ordinating literacy projects across government, and works with the Premier's Advisory Panel on Literacy to assess literacy challenges, identify urgent needs, and develop a comprehensive action plan to help meet B.C.'s literacy goals.
5. Public Libraries
Public Libraries are key players in the Government's commitment to make B.C. the best-educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent. Public libraries share a common mandate under the Library Act and play an important role in managing information services, to ensure that citizens have seamless access to information that is current, accurate and relevant. As new technologies revolutionize access to information, the role of libraries will become even more significant, especially in rural British Columbia. Approximately fifty-five per cent of British Columbians have active library cards, which they use on a regular basis — and the demand for library services is rising.16
| 16 | For more information, please see: the 2004 Strategic Plan for Public Libraries — Libraries Without Walls: The World Within Your Reach — A Vision for Public Libraries in British Columbia, available online at: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/pls/library_strategic_plan.pdf. |
Core Business Areas Overview
To achieve its goals and objectives, the Ministry of Education focuses on the following core business areas:
1. Public Schools — As legislated under the School Act, the Ministry provides operating funding to school boards, partner groups and societies that support the Province's 1,666 public schools. The K – 12 system serves approximately 570,000 public school FTEs (full-time equivalents). For the 2005/06 fiscal year, $4,264,295,000 was allocated to this core business area.
2. Independent Schools — As legislated under the Independent School Act, the Ministry provides partial operating funding to over 350 independent schools. The independent school system serves approximately 63,000 student FTEs. The Inspector of Independent Schools is responsible to the Minister of Education for the administration of the Independent School Act. For the 2005/06 fiscal year, $186,629,000 was allocated to this core business area.
3. Debt Service and Amortization — The Ministry provides funding to school boards to finance capital projects, including seismic upgrades, renovations, expansions, new facilities and buses, and as well, is responsible for debt service and amortization costs. For the 2005/06 fiscal year, $546,385,000 was allocated to this core business area.
4. Early Learning and Literacy — The Ministry of Education, in partnership with the Ministry of Children and Family Development has responsibility for improving early learning. In addition, as legislated under the Library Act, the Ministry provides leadership, advice, training, funding, and programs to the public library system. The Ministry also supports programs that promote literacy through libraries, communities, and schools. For the 2005/06 fiscal year, $20,008,000 and 12 FTEs were allocated to this core business area.
5. Management Services — This core area provides corporate services to operating programs, including financial, budget, human resources, information management, administrative services, freedom of information and privacy services, and general services and assistance for the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Advanced Education. For the 2005/06 fiscal year, $12,354,000 and 85 FTEs were allocated to this core business area.
6. Executive and Support Services — The Ministry provides leadership and funding, develops policy and legislation, oversees system governance, sets results-based standards, develops accountability frameworks, monitors performance, and reports results. This business area includes the Minister's Office and Ministry Program Management. For the 2005/06 fiscal year, $44,234,000 and 216 FTEs were allocated to this core business area.
