The Vancouver School Board (VSB) is delaying kindergarten intake draws as it waits for direction from the provincial government about the outcome of talks regarding the Supreme Court of Canada decision to restore class size and composition language.
In November, the province’s teachers won a landmark ruling against the B.C. government in the Supreme Court of Canada, requiring the government to restore staffing levels to pre-2002 levels.
VSB says the outcome of the talks will affect how many students each school in the district can accommodate in 2017-18, including the number of kindergarten students.
READ MORE: Province announces $50M to hire more teachers in B.C.
The board says the district currently anticipates that kindergarten placement draws will take place in April.
The schools affected by the delays include — Carnarvon, Emily Carr, Cavell, Dickens, Dickens Annex, Elsie Roy, False Creek, Fraser, Gordon, Hudson, Livingstone, Nelson, Norma Rose Point, Strathcona, Roberts, Roberts Annex, Weir and McBride Annex.
READ MORE: B.C. School districts asking retired teachers to come back to work
In its pre-election budget last month, the province announced B.C.’s school system will receive an additional $740 million over the next three years, with a large chunk of that money earmarked to cover the costs of hiring new teachers.
In January, it was also announced the province was releasing $50 million to school districts across the province to hire more teachers, and school districts were reaching into the retirement pool as part of a teacher hiring spree.
- Joffre Lakes to close for 3 periods this year under agreement with First Nations
- ‘Why aren’t we doing more?’ White Rock on edge with killer on the loose
- B.C. carjacking victim says she doesn’t trust the ‘catch-and-release’ system
- Inquest into fatal Surrey hostage-taking recommends cameras for ERT teams
Comments