For Parents

Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA)

The provincial government has been administering the Foundation Skills Assessment tests to all students in Grades 4 and 7 since 2000. This test does not help students learn or teachers teach. It takes valuable time and much needed resources away from the classroom learning and undermines the ability to provide meaningful learning experiences for all students.

The FSA results are misused by a private organization to rank schools based on a very narrow measure. The FSA tests do not result in any additional funding or support for students.

• Parents should know brochure English l French l Cantonese l Punjabi
• Withdraw your child from the FSA letter English l French l Cantonese l Punjabi
• Why Teachers Must Tell Parents About FSAs
• Social media shareable

Every year individuals and organizations are speaking out more about the problems with the FSAs. Boards of education have written BC’s Minister of Education calling for the tests to be cancelled this school year or permanently ended. Other school trustees publicly support the rights of parents to freely choose whether their children take the tests without inappropriate pressure to do so. Almost all education organizations have said that FSA results should be protected information for parents and educators only. Please click this link for more information: School Board Concerns with FSAs 

Education Funding

BC parents and teachers believe that public education funding should effectively address the needs of all students. The fact sheets and the brochure below show how improvements and protections are necessary to best serve British Columbia’s students and teachers.

Special education funding: Our government must change course

• Cantonese l English l French l Korean l Mandarin l Punjabi l Spanish l Tagalog

Education funding fact sheets

• Comparing BC with Canada
• Public School Class Sizes, Schools, Composition

Free BCTF Presentations for Parents

The BCTF has developed free sessions for parents that provide opportunities to learn strategies, gain knowledge and explore concerns.

• Presentations for parents overview  
  
• Presentations for Aboriginal parents overview 
  
• Présentations de la FECB pour les parents des programmes francophone et immersion vue d'ensemble
  
• Presentation descriptions, booking information and online booking form
  

Working together to make our schools healthy and safe

All BC students and school staff deserve to learn and work in healthy, safe environments. This 2018 brochure highlights important ongoing health and safety issues in our schools including water and air quality, seismic upgrades, and winter conditions. It provides ideas for those concerned to work together to ensure the ongoing health and safety of our children.