K-12 Education Reform in British Columbia

— Published on November 21, 2024

K-12 Education Reform in British Columbia

In the 2024/25 fiscal year, British Columbia plans to spend $9.6 billion on K-12 education.
BC’s per-student spending in government schools grew 6.7 percent between 2012/13 to 2021/22, after adjusting for the effects of inflation.
On the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), BC has experienced a decline in its reading, math, and science scores over the last twenty years.
BC needs to reverse changes made to the provincial curriculum. This new curriculum has been a disaster, and it should never have been imposed on schools.
In addition, BC should restore the previous course-based standardized exams that had been in place in grades 10 and 12. It must also include performance from such testing as part of Grade 12 grades and require such testing as a condition of graduation.
BC would also be wise to follow the example of Alberta and pass legislation that enables parents and other community members to establish charter schools—publicly funded non-religious schools that do not fall under the authority of the local school board.
An innovation in Australia for varying the value of the government grant for independent schools is worth noting and perhaps even extending to ensure that independent school education is available to families at all income levels.
Given the current mix of comparatively high spending with declining academic results, British Columbia should review a broad range of education reforms to achieve better value for money and improved results for both students and taxpayers.