Strategic Context

Vision, Mission and Values

Vision

The Ministry's vision is to make B.C. the best-educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent.

Mission

The purpose of the British Columbia school system is to enable all learners to develop their individual potential and to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to contribute to a healthy democratic and pluralistic society and a prosperous and sustainable economy.

Values

The Ministry of Education is comprised of a professional, non-partisan public service that respects the Standard of Conduct for Public Service Employees. The Ministry is an organization whose employees work together to improve student achievement in British Columbia. The Ministry is committed to the goals and objectives set out in A Corporate Human Resource Plan for the Public Service of British Columbia and in the Ministry's Corporate Human Resources Plan. Ministry employees agree that it is important to demonstrate the following behaviors in daily interactions with the public and with one another:

• to behave with integrity, promoting relationships of mutual trust, confidence and respect;
• to provide high levels of service to everyone with whom we come in contact;
• to ensure information is shared in a relevant and timely manner;
• to identify and acknowledge problems and work together to resolve them; and
• to acknowledge each other's contributions.

Planning Context

Over the last several decades there has been an increased focus on education, from the local level to the international level. The definition of education has been expanded to include all types of learning, and to promote a more balanced and flexible approach to education. Educational services have also expanded to include distributed learning and early childhood education, as well as a renewed focus on health and literacy. The societal benefits of education are many and wide-ranging. Well-educated people have lower rates of substance abuse, criminal activity, unemployment and domestic violence. An educated workforce is also better suited to adapt to changes in the economic environment. That is why Government's number one great goal is to make B.C. the best educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent.

Another great goal of Government is to build the best system of support in Canada for persons with disabilities, special needs, children at risk and seniors. The Ministry of Education is committed to improving achievement for all students. Programs and services aimed at supporting students with special needs are provided by a number of different ministries and agencies — to support these students, the Ministry of Education will play an important role in encouraging seamless service delivery for all children. As well, the Ministry will provide information on the educational impact of these services. Education is and will continue to be a core component of a healthy and productive life for all of B.C.'s youth.

There are many factors, both internal and external, that affect the success of the education system in British Columbia. For B.C.'s economy to continue to grow and prosper, the shortage of skilled trade professionals must be addressed. Efforts to promote trades training as a viable and attractive career option are improving, but more work must be done if the Province is to effectively address this important issue. The Ministry is continuing to expand efforts to encourage more students to enter the trades through apprenticeship training and encouraging school boards to offer more programs leading to recognized trades certification.⁴

The Aboriginal population of British Columbia is younger and growing at a faster rate the rest of B.C.'s population. With the expansion of this demographic group comes the challenge of meeting its unique educational needs. The completion rate for Aboriginal youth has climbed to 47 per cent, the highest in our history. While significant gains have been made, the education system must continue to focus on Aboriginal student achievement.

The rapid growth of technology as a mechanism for delivering and expanding educational services will continue to alter the face of education as it has traditionally been known. New opportunities exist not only for delivering services, but also for managing education. Technology brings new challenges and opportunities as international competitors gain the capacity to deliver educational programs into British Columbia and British Columbia schools begin to deliver their services outside the Province. Constant technological advances mean that the Ministry of Education must strive to understand new needs in terms of capacity (training), curriculum (what is taught in the schools), and management.

Declining enrolment and the movement of students from rural to urban areas are two of the most significant factors that must be considered in planning for the future. The ability to provide a varied education program to students in small rural communities is an emerging priority for educators. Educators are also facing increased pressure to manage the impacts on the system caused by declining enrolment.

Key Strategic Issues

2005 – 2006 Strategic Direction

For the upcoming year, the Ministry of Education will focus on three key areas: literacy, health, and building community capacity.

Literacy

The Provincial Government is committed to helping children and adults gain the literacy skills they need for full participation in society. The Government's literacy strategy aims to promote improvements in reading, writing, numeracy and computer literacy for all British Columbians. A Premier's Advisory Panel on Literacy has been tasked with assessing literacy challenges and identifying urgent needs. The Ministry will develop an action plan based on the recommendations of the panel, in order to help B.C. meet its great goal of becoming the best educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent.

The Ministry of Education has the lead role for improving literacy both at the provincial level, and through the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada,⁵ at the national level. At the provincial level, a key aspect of the Ministry's strategy is to build community capacity, which will be accomplished by collaborating with other ministries, agencies, and levels of government. The inclusion of Public Libraries within the Ministry's mandate will improve access to information at the community level and help to improve early childhood learning. As well, the Ministry is collaborating with LiteracyNow⁶ and other agencies, such as Literacy B.C.,⁷ to develop new methods to improve literacy. LiteracyNow supports community-based literacy programs, and works closely with volunteer and non-profit organizations. At the national level, the Ministry will work to focus attention on literacy, and to align national literacy research projects with provincial priorities. The knowledge that is gained from this collaborative effort will be reported publicly so that all partners may benefit.

Health-Promoting Schools

In January 2005, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health Services hosted a province-wide forum to promote health in schools and to begin work on a policy framework for Health-Promoting Schools. By adopting a health-promoting schools approach, the British Columbia school system can enhance the health and learning capacities of all students in B.C. The school setting provides a unique opportunity to positively influence the many domains of student health in and outside the classroom. By working with teachers, parents, school administrators, health authorities, government, community groups and students, we are creating an environment that fosters healthy living habits that last a lifetime. This initiative supports the Government of B.C.'s great goal to lead the way in North America in healthy living and physical fitness. The Ministry also leads national efforts to promote health in schools through the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada. Areas of focus for Health-Promoting Schools in 2005/06 include:

• Action Schools! B.C.;⁸
• New curriculum on Health and Career Planning;
• New Physical Education curriculum (K – 7); and
• Developing Guidelines for selling healthy foods in schools.

A Health-Promoting School embraces the view that promoting children's health is a shared responsibility with parents, the health sector, and the community.

Building Community Capacity

School Community Connections

A key component of the Ministry's strategy to improve literacy is to build community capacity. One way the Ministry will build capacity is through the School Community Connections⁹ initiative. In April 2005, the Ministry of Education facilitated the launch of School Community Connections with a grant of $10 million. The purpose of this initiative is to increase the number of schools that are centers for community activities and services. As shifting demographics and population patterns have left a number of schools underutilized or vacant, School Community Connections will benefit B.C. communities by helping school boards and local governments revitalize these schools as centers for community learning and activity. By making space available in schools for services such as early childhood learning, childcare and seniors' centers, local schools are strengthening their ties with the community and building community capacity. The B.C. School Trustees Association (BCSTA) and the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) are co-managing the program, in partnership with the Ministry of Education.

Libraries

Library Services will play an equally important role in building community capacity to improve literacy through collaborations and partnerships with schools, post-secondary institutions and government, and by facilitating access to information. Through implementation of the One Card system, anyone with the One Card will have access to library collections. Used like a passport to information, a single card will give all British Columbians free, equitable and seamless access to library holdings 24 hours a day, seven days a week from any computer in the world connected to the Internet. One Card will allow British Columbians to borrow physical items from libraries outside of their municipal or regional boundaries and to search all library catalogues for resources. When integrated with the electronic gateway and Internet access, One Card will provide access to the basic information available online province-wide.¹⁰