The School Act
The School Act - Current to March 29, 2023
Excerpted sections from The School Act below -- for more specific information, also see the next page, School Regulation, which has a more specific description of teachers' duties. An then there are ministerial orders, and policy. All four of these work together to provide direction for public education in BC.
What is the difference between an Act and a Regulation?
Acts are created by a vote in Parliament and as such are very hard to change. If you read through the sections below, you will see they are quite general in nature. This is intentional, because change requires legislation in Parliament. However, because it is so general, an act requires that regulations are created and updated in an ongoing way to ensure the act stays relevant. Regulations are created by Ministers, and can speak to specifics that can be updated more easily.
EXCERPTS FROM THE SCHOOL ACT
Teachers' responsibilities
17 (1) A teacher's responsibilities include designing, supervising and assessing educational programs and instructing, assessing and evaluating individual students and groups of students. (2) Teachers must perform the duties set out in the regulations.
Parents' entitlements and responsibilities
7 (1) A parent of a student of school age attending a school is entitled (a)to be informed, in accordance with the orders of the minister, of the student's attendance, behaviour and progress in school, and (b) [Repealed 2015-24-5.] (c) to belong to a parents' advisory council established under section 8. (2) A parent of a student of school age attending a school may, and at the request of a teacher, principal, vice principal or director of instruction must, consult with the teacher, principal, vice principal or director of instruction with respect to the student's educational program.
Teacher conduct
76 (3) The discipline of a student while attending an educational program made available by a board or a Provincial school must be similar to that of a kind, firm and judicious parent, but must not include corporal punishment
Class size
76.1 (2) A board must ensure that the size of any primary grades class in any school in its school district does not exceed (a) for kindergarten, 22 students, and (b) for grades 1 to 3, 24 students.
(2.1) Subject to subsection (2.4), a board must ensure that the class size of any class for any of grades 4 to 12 in any school in its school district does not exceed 30 students unless (a) in the opinions of the superintendent of schools for the school district and the principal of the school, the organization of the class is appropriate for student learning, or (b) the class is in a prescribed category of classes.
(2.2) A board must provide additional compensation, as prescribed, to a teacher of a class that, under subsection (2.1) (a), exceeds 30 students.
(2.3) Subsection (2.2) does not apply with respect to a teacher in a prescribed category of teachers.
(2.4) A board must ensure that the class size of a class in a prescribed category of classes does not exceed the prescribed number of students
Jump to School Regulation to see a much more specific list of teachers' job requirements as set out by the Education Minister.