Guide to School Legislation in British Columbia

In June 2020 the BC School Trustees Association (BCSTA) posted an updated Guide to School Legislation in British Columbia. These Guides contains factual summaries of the key legislation that governs education in BC. 

The Guide contains factual summaries of the key legislation that governs education in BC. In each subject area, the Guide contains an overview of the legislation in simple, basic terms, and includes references to the relevant sections of Acts, Regulations and Orders. Many sections include context information (e.g. statistics, history) to help the reader understand how the legislation connects to the school system.

This Guide contains many references to enactments: Acts, Bills, Regulations, Ministerial orders. Readers who wish to consult the primary sources may wish to consult the Ministry of Education’s Manual of School Law which includes most of these enactments. Another helpful resource for BC legislation is the BC Laws website. The Guide is a non-legal summary published for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a legal text, and persons with specific questions or who are faced with particular situations should seek qualified legal advice.

Below are the guides most relevant to parents/guardians and families.

Part 1 - The Student and the School

Part 2 - Parents and Community

Part 3 - The Teacher

Part 4 - Non-Teaching Employees

Part 5 - Board of Education

Part 6 - School Trustees

Part 7 - The Ministry of Education

Part 8 - Board Finance and Property

Part 12 - Indigenous Education

Appendix - Acts & Resources