2002/03 Annual Service Plan Report Ministry of Education

Year-at-a-Glance Highlights

During the fiscal year 2002/03, the Ministry of Education continued to reform key aspects of the education system while remaining focused on improving student achievement.

• In May 2002, the School Amendment Act became law, increasing local autonomy and flexibility for school districts, and providing more choice for parents and students in school selection.
• The amendments to the School Act also created School Planning Councils that give parents a greater role in school planning and decisions that affect their child's education.
• In June 2002, the ministry released the results of its first annual satisfaction surveys, distributed to parents, students and staff. Overall, the results were very encouraging. The surveys will ensure greater accountability for results at the school, district and provincial levels.
• In early September 2002, the ministry appointed a task force on student achievement to recommend ways of improving the performance of BC's students.
• At the end of September 2002, the ministry appointed a task force on rural education to recommend strategies to ensure students in rural and remote communities across BC have access to quality education. The task force submitted a report with 19 recommendations.
• The offshore school program was expanded in September 2002 to begin certification of schools in China, Taiwan and Japan to offer BC's curriculum. BC has a world-class curriculum that is highly marketable and is in demand. British Columbia students will benefit from the additional funds that school districts generate by entering into partnerships overseas to operate BC certified offshore schools.
• In October 2002, an MLA task force was formed to look at school safety. Schools must be safe and welcoming to all children so they can achieve their full potential.
• The ministry is committed to protecting and maintaining education funding. Despite declining enrolment, per student funding increased by $35 in 2002/03. Next year, operating funding per student is projected to increase by more than 11 per cent since 1998.
• The January 2003 report "How Are We Doing", indicated that Aboriginal students are steadily improving their academic performance, although there is more work to be done. That is why the ministry has committed to putting measures into place to increase Aboriginal student achievement.
• Throughout the year, the ministry focused on developing enhancement agreements that support strong, co-operative relationships between Aboriginal communities and school districts. By the end of March 2003, seven agreements had been established and several other districts had entered the community consultation and draft-writing stages. The Ministry of Education is aiming to establish enhancement agreements in all 60 school districts by 2005. The agreements give Aboriginal communities and school districts independence to find solutions that work for them.
• In January 2003, the ministry released data showing that a record 77 per cent of students completed high school in 2001/02 (within six years of starting Grade 8). In all, 39,790 students finished school that year — nearly 700 more than the year before.
• In February 2003, district review teams began visiting BC school districts as part of the government's commitment to improve accountability and student achievement. Teams began reporting on where school districts were doing well and where they need to improve.
• A one-time grant of $50 million was given to school districts in February 2003. The funds were available as a result of ministry savings achieved through prudent fiscal management and lower debt-servicing costs, and will allow school districts to meet the unique needs of students in their communities.
• Enrolment data released in March 2003 indicated that more students than ever before are enrolled in BC's French immersion program. Despite declining student enrolment across the province, enrolment in French immersion has increased by seven per cent in the past 10 years.
• BC school districts will save more than $2.1 million a year as a result of the ministry's decision in March 2003 to cover the entire cost of districts' membership in the BC Public School Employers' Association.