Strategic Context

The Ministry of Education has sought to meet the goals and challenges of an ever-changing education system and learning environment. Some factors that impact the education system include:

Declining Enrolment — Between 2000/2001 and 2005/06, enrolment has declined by approximately 30,000 students. In fact, over the next five years enrolment is expected to decline by another 30,000 students, decreasing by about 6,000 students each year. While the Ministry has no control over student enrolment numbers, declining student enrolment requires active management by school boards.

Aging Population — The teacher supply issue is monitored by the Teacher Supply and Demand Consortium (sponsored by the Ministry of Education). Of note is the fact that the percentage of teachers 55 years of age and older increased from 11.9 per cent in 2001/02 to 17.9 per cent in 2005/06.³ The Government is working to ensure that when older teachers retire, there are qualified teachers to take their place. While declining enrolment translates into a reduced demand for teachers in general, some subject areas like mathematics, languages, physics and chemistry are harder to fill, as are specialist teaching positions in some rural communities. Overall, although the aging workforce is outside the Ministry's influence, careful succession planning has ensured that the supply of teachers is sufficient to offset retirements and attrition — this means that there is no shortage of teachers.

Also of concern is the increase in the average age of administrators. The percentage of administrators 55 years of age and older increased from 17.3 per cent in 2001/02 to 25.4 per cent in 2005/06. As many as 1,000 vacancies for principals and vice-principals are expected over the next five years. The Ministry has funded the British Columbia Education Leadership Council to ensure succession planning for school leaders occurs.

Technology — New developments in the use of information technology to deliver quality education have improved access for all students, especially those in rural areas of the Province. Improvement in information technology also allows the Ministry and its partners to make better use of data through implementation and utilization of data management systems, such as the British Columbia Enterprise Student Information System (BCeSIS). However, the rapid pace of technological advances poses a challenge for educators in keeping abreast of the latest technology.

Healthy Living/Physical Fitness — Health risks such as physical inactivity, substance abuse and childhood obesity are areas of increasing concern. In support of the Government's ActNow initiative, which was launched in 2005 with the goal of making British Columbia the healthiest jurisdiction ever to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, and the Ministry of Health are working together to promote physical activity and healthy eating, and to reduce harmful behaviours (such as tobacco use and substance abuse). The focus on minimizing health risks provides an opportunity for schools to support Government's health-related great goal, and to have a positive effect on the health of future generations of British Columbians.

Skilled Trades Shortage — British Columbia is facing significant challenges with respect to the recruitment of skilled trades workers. The Ministry of Education has continued to expand trades training options for students, and to encourage more students to consider a rewarding career in the trades sector. This has included collaboration in CTC (Career Technical Centre) partnerships and ACE-IT (Accelerated Credit Enrolment in Industry Training) programs, as well as other programs designed to facilitate transitions to trades careers.

A New Relationship with Aboriginal People — The Government has recognized that the historical relationship between Aboriginal people and the Crown in B.C. has given rise to the present social and economic disparities between Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal people. In order for the Province to make real progress toward achieving its Five Great Goals, it is forging a new relationship with Aboriginal people, based on recognition, respect and reconciliation. For example, the Ministry of Education has been working to establish Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreements (working agreements between a school district, all local Aboriginal communities, and the Ministry of Education) which are designed to enhance the achievement of Aboriginal students.

Building Stronger Lines of Communication — The Ministry has been working to build stronger lines of communication with partner groups⁴ through the Learning Roundtable, which brings together stakeholder groups to discuss matters of importance to B.C.'s education system, as well as through the commitment to hold an Annual Teachers' Congress.

3	Headcounts by age grouping, from “TEACHER STATISTICS 2001/02 – 2005/06, FULL-YEAR SUMMARY REPORT, Province – Public Schools only,” Page 4.
4	Partner groups include the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation, the B.C. School Superintendents’ Association, the B.C. Principals’ and Vice-Principals’ Association, the B.C. Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils, and the British Columbia School Trustees’ Association.

Government's Five Great Goals

In the Province of British Columbia 2005/06 – 2007/08 Strategic Plan Update — September 2005, the Government laid out its intention to build on its foundation goals⁵ with the addition of the Five Great Goals. For 2005/06 – 2015/16, the Government will focus its energy on achieving the Five Great Goals, which are outlined below:

1. Make British Columbia the best-educated, most literate jurisdiction on the continent.

For the Province to move forward with its social and economic agenda, all citizens must be literate. Results from the latest Statistics Canada International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey⁶ indicate that although British Columbia, along with the Yukon, Alberta and Saskatchewan, had average scores that were significantly higher than the national average in all four of the literacy domains tested, 40 per cent of adults in B.C. scored below the desired proficiency level for "prose literacy."⁷ Given the complex nature of daily life, and the reduced earning potential of people with low rates of literacy, reading, writing, numeracy, and computer skills are essential for full participation in society.

The Ministry of Education will play a key role in improving literacy, both at the provincial and national level. To focus our planning efforts, the Ministry has defined "literacy" as the gateway to future learning, and will concentrate on measuring progress in reading, as the core of literacy and learning. In British Columbia, the Ministry has the lead for improving literacy across all segments of society, from young children to seniors. On the national stage, B.C. has shown its commitment to improving literacy rates across the country by assuming a national leadership role through the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada.⁸ To achieve the literacy goals of the Government, the Ministry of Education has been working closely with the Ministry of Advanced Education, the Ministry of Children and Family Development (and other social development ministries), as well as community partners. The Ministry also has primary responsibility for liaising with the Premier's Advisory Council on Literacy.

To support the Government's education goal, the Ministry, in partnership with other ministries, will continue to focus on improving student achievement, as well as on early learning, improving literacy rates for all ages, and improving access to information through public library initiatives designed to simplify user access to a broader range of information.

5	Goal 1: To create a strong and vibrant provincial economy. Goal 2: To have a supportive social fabric and safe, healthy communities. Goal 3: To have a sustainable environment.
6	For more information on the 2003 International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey, please visit: http://www.statcan.ca/cgi-bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getSurvey& amp;SDDS=4406&lang=en&db=IMDB&dbg=f&adm=8&dis=2.
7	Participants were scored on a proficiency scale from 1 to 5 (lowest to highest). Level 3 was designated as the desired threshold for coping with the increasing skill demands of a knowledge society. “Prose literacy” is defined as “the knowledge and skills required to locate and use information from texts including editorials, news stories, poems, and fiction.”
8	For more information on the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, please visit: http://www.cmec.ca.

2. Lead the way in North America in healthy living and physical fitness.

An ongoing focus on healthy living and physical fitness is essential to the long-term health and prosperity of the Province. The Government's ActNow initiative, with its emphasis on minimizing the risk factors related to chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, focuses on physical activity and healthy eating as ways to stay healthy. To support the Government's health goal, the Ministry continues to focus on encouraging students to live healthy lifestyles and to make responsible life choices. In particular, the Ministry of Education is working to decrease tobacco use for youth, increase physical activity levels for K – 12 students (through Action Schools! BC), develop new standards to ensure all students have a minimum level of physical activity in every school, and instil healthy eating habits (by discontinuing the sale of junk food in schools by 2009 or sooner).

3. Build the best system of support in Canada for persons with disabilities, those with special needs, children at risk, and seniors.

Often, these vulnerable citizens face barriers that prevent them from achieving success, or participating fully in society. The Ministry continues to focus on improving achievement and literacy rates for children with special needs, in support of Government's progression towards a more equitable and inclusive society, where the most vulnerable members are given the support they need. Removing barriers that hinder children with special needs and streamlining access to services into one point of contact⁹ will allow children with special needs to participate more fully in their communities.

9	Often children with special needs require services from several different ministries, agencies and levels of government. Integrating these services into a single point of contact will enable Government to provide more efficient service delivery to its citizens.

4. Lead the world in sustainable environmental management, with the best air and water quality, and the best fisheries management, bar none.

The Ministry of Education supports the Government's environmental goals by educating students — through our provincial K – 12 curriculum — about the importance of environmental stewardship and responsible management of our natural resources.

5. Create more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada.

As the Government of British Columbia strives to achieve its goal of creating more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada, the Ministry is working to provide graduates with the skills and knowledge they need to fill future positions and to meet the demands of a modern economy. Working in partnership with the Ministry of Advanced Education, the Ministry will continue to strive to expand opportunities for apprenticeships and trades training.