British Columbia

News & Info

From the BC Throne Speech - August 25, 2009

We must now focus on increasing graduation rates and improving student performance from the earliest years.

Government will place early learning and early-childhood development at the forefront of efforts to improve our education services.

Neighbourhood learning centres will become the focus of intensive activities with city councils, library boards, recreation commissions, parents and professionals. Government will work to establish educational and preschool opportunities in the midst of the neighbourhoods where our families live. Together, we can work to centre neighbourhoods and communities on the needs of our families, their children's education and the environment.

Full-time, five-year-old kindergarten will begin to be delivered in schools throughout British Columbia in September of 2010.

Links of Interest

Early Childhood Learning Agency - Between April and December of 2008, the Early Childhood Learning Agency carried out a study of the feasibility of full day kindergarten for five-year-olds and the possibility of future full day pre-kindergarten programs for four-year-olds and three-year-olds.

HELP - Human Early Learning Partnership - The Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) is an interdisciplinary research network of faculty, researchers and graduate students from British Columbia's six major universities. Led by Dr. Clyde Hertzman, HELP facilitates the creation of new knowledge, and helps apply this knowledge by working directly with government and communities. HELP works in partnership with, and receives  funding from, the BC Ministries of Children and Family Development (MCFD), Education and Healthy Living and Sport.

BC Ministry of Education - The ministry is committed to providing a high quality education for K-12 students. For more information please contact the ministry toll-free 1-888-879-1166.

BC Independent School Branch -Independent schools offer parents alternatives to a public school education. Some parents in British Columbia choose to send their children to independent schools because these schools provide a particular religious, cultural, philosophical or educational approach.

Early Childhood Educators of BC - Early Childhood Educators of British Columbia (ECEBC) is the professional association for early childhood practioners in BC. ECEBC is supported and directed by its members.

BC Teachers' Federation - The British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF), established in 1917, is the union of professionals representing 41,000 public school teachers in the province of British Columbia, Canada. All public school teachers belong to the BCTF and their local teachers' association.

Government of BC Early Learning Initiatives - Summary Page

First Call BC - This is a repost from the First Call's webpage.  They and a number of their partners participated in the Early Childhood Learning Agency consultation on all-day kindergarten for 3-5 year olds in BC, which took place June to August 2008.   Below are the links to these responses:

• First Call
• Early Childhood Educators of BC
• BC Government and Service Employees' Union
• Vancouver Coastal Health
• BC Council for Families
• Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC
• Campbell River Aboriginal Infant Development Program Networking Group
• Child Care Advocacy Forum
• BC Recreation and Parks Association
• Surrey Make Children First
• BC Healthy Child Development Alliance

Key Reports and Documents

Expanding Early Learning In British Columbia For Children Age Three to Five - April 2009

British Columbia Early Learning Framework - The British Columbia Early Learning Framework describes the vision, pedagogical principles, and key areas of learning for children birth to five years (before school entry). The framework was developed in partnership with the Ministries of Children and Family Development, Health and Education.

Understanding the British Columbia Early Learning Framework: From Theory to Practice - From Theory to Practice provides ideas and suggestions to guide early learning practitioners for reflecting on the vision, principles and learning goals set out in the Framework.

The Primary Program: A Framework for Teaching - Developed by the Ministry, is a resource for primary teachers. This guide to effective practice for K-3:

• provides a comprehensive overview of policy, curriculum, and information on classroom assessment, and refers to the BC performance standards
• provides pedagogical advice based on current research related to Grades K-3
• demonstrates how the prescribed learning outcomes of the IRPs at K-3 may be organized and presented according to the five areas of development
  • aesthetic and artistic development
  • emotional and social development
  • intellectual development
  • physical development and well-being
  • development of social responsibility and citizenship

Child Care Resource and Research Unit - ISSUE File - Full-day early learning: Merging child care and kindergarten into a "seamless day"

Collection of Key Documents and Publications from the Human Early Learning Partnership