Graduation Requirements Review
The ministry undertook a review of graduation requirements including adult graduation and school leaving certificates.
The BCTF submission, Graduation Requirements Review: A brief to the Ministry of Education from the BCTF, is now available.
Background
The Representative Assembly of August 23, 2012, passed a motion encouraging members to participate and occupy such ministry opportunities for feedback on educational change, including using social media, guided by an awareness:
- of the power of the individual voice in shaping policy, and
- that data accumulated in this manner must be considered raw data and not necessarily as representative of the profession’s opinions that are honed through presentations, debate, and adoption of policy at Federation decision-making bodies.
The Representative assembly also decided that discussions and recommendations regarding ministry initiatives should be consistent with Federation policies, including the Federation’s goals of education, the principles of learning, and the BCTF’s social justice lens.
The ministry has organized the review around five questions. However, individual teachers responding in district or regional forums, and locals, PSAs, and advisory committees making recommendations to the Executive Committee do not need to confine their discussions to the five questions. The questions, although broad, do not necessarily address social justice issues like the social policies that influence graduation requirements, the aspirations of students with special needs, including those diagnosed with mental health and behaviour issues, the needs of ESL students arriving during their teenage years, etc. Teachers are the primary advocates for some groups of students.