The Tyee
Is BC’s Education Underfunded and at a ‘Tipping Point’?
“This is about children’s right to a quality public education”
School trustees warned that rising costs and budget shortfalls were forcing difficult decisions about staff and programmes. For families, the concern is whether their children can count on the classroom support they need, even when provincial funding totals increase.
Global News
Warning of a ‘crisis’ in public education as parents rally at B.C. legislature
Families rallied at the legislature over crowded classrooms, programme cuts and missing support, urging the province to fund what children need at school.
Castanet Kamloops
Parents, students call on province for more school district funding at downtown rally
Kamloops parents and students rallied after their school district announced staffing cuts to address a budget shortfall. They warned that losing staff would leave children with less help in classrooms already struggling to meet students’ needs.
Surrey Now-Leader
‘Surrey students deserve better’: Education advocates launch campaign
Surrey parent, teacher and support-worker organisations launched a campaign for more provincial school funding. Their shared call linked crowded classrooms and missing supports with children’s daily experience of learning.
CBC News
Surrey teachers and the school district called for more funding as some classrooms ran short of paper. A linked preview describes children sharing worksheets or copying onto scraps, showing how budget pressures can affect even basic classroom materials.
CTV News
‘That’s not inclusive education’: Surrey school district cuts 50 education assistant positions
“We are already working short staffed”
Surrey planned to leave about 50 education assistant positions unfilled as it addressed a budget shortfall. Families and staff warned that children already missing school or support would face further barriers when fewer adults were available to help.
The Tyee
Survey Says… Inclusive Education Shouldn’t Be a Budget Question
“Children’s human rights are not optional.”
Surrey’s budget survey asked people to rank disability supports alongside other spending priorities. BCEdAccess challenged that framing: children’s access to education should not depend on whether other survey respondents consider their support important enough to fund.
Kim Block provided a statement challenging the inclusion of disability supports as a budget-survey priority to be ranked.
The Province
Opinion: B.C. must put rights of kids at the centre of its disability policies
This opinion piece argues that children’s rights should guide B.C.’s disability policies. Its authors highlight the difficulty families face finding support, asking decision-makers to start with what children need rather than leave parents to navigate a confusing system alone.
CBC News
Fired B.C. school trustees going to court to try to get their jobs back
Greater Victoria’s nine dismissed trustees asked a court to overturn the orders that removed them. They alleged the process was unfair and aimed at forcing police liaison officers back into schools; the minister defended her decision as necessary for safety. For families and caregivers, the case concerned both school policy and the loss of local elected representation.
Burnaby Now
Burnaby school district reserves at low ebb due to ‘cost pressures’
Burnaby’s dwindling budget reserves raised questions about how schools would absorb rising costs. For families, the concern is whether financial pressures will reduce the programmes, staff and support available to their children.
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Increased public funding for private schools is dividing us, and needs to stop
“Every single child deserves a quality education”
In this opinion piece, Patti Bacchus argues that public subsidies for private schools deepen inequality while public schools struggle to provide support. She asks why getting an appropriate education should depend on whether a family can afford tuition.
Richmond News
Kids with special needs are being left behind
Raises concern that disabled children are being left without the help they need. For families and caregivers, the issue is whether children can access support in time to participate, learn and develop alongside their peers.
CBC News
B.C. fires Victoria School Board over ban on police in schools
“[The Board of Education] failed to work together with local First Nations, police and other key stakeholders to prioritize student safety.”
The province removed Greater Victoria’s elected school board during a dispute over school safety and police liaison officers, replacing it with an appointed trustee. The conflict raised competing concerns about student safety and the experiences of marginalised students around police. Families and caregivers lost their elected representatives while those decisions were being contested.
IndigiNews
“We need to back up the bus.”
B.C.’s children’s representative called for earlier, better-coordinated help for disabled children and their families/caregivers. The report describes families and caregivers pushed towards crisis or government care to obtain services, and highlights the additional barriers and distrust faced by Indigenous families and caregivers.
The Tyee
Report’s Recommendations for Disabled Kids are ‘Urgent,’ Advocate Says
“We’ve been making these calls to action for years, and they are urgent.”
A provincial watchdog report found families and caregivers waiting years for assessments and support, with some considering government care to get help for their children. Advocates called for urgent action, including family service coordinators, therapies, respite and support at school.
Vancouver Sun
It’s inhumane: BC’s children with disabilities excluded from classes, school activities
The report focuses on disabled children being excluded from classes and school activities in B.C. It raises the question families and caregivers face daily: whether a place in school includes meaningful opportunities to learn and participate.
The Tyee
BC’s Ombudsperson Is Investigating the Exclusion of Kids from School
“It’s perpetuating family poverty”
B.C.’s Ombudsperson opened an investigation into children being excluded from school or left with little instruction. Families’ and caregivers reports, including BCEdAccess’s tracking, show how lost school time affects learning, belonging and parents’ ability to work.
BCEdAccess’s Exclusion Tracker findings were cited. Former executive director Tracy Humphreys was interviewed in her then-current role leading BCCPAC.
CBC News
Surrey parents, students raise concerns over closure of alternative learning centre
Families and former students raised concerns about the planned closure of the South Surrey White Rock Learning Centre. They described the alternative programme as a lifeline, highlighting how losing a suitable learning environment can put a young person’s education at risk.
CBC News (YouTube)
Nanaimo mother says her son is kept out of class due to a lack of support at school
A Nanaimo mother said inadequate school support was preventing her eight-year-old son from attending full time. Missing school also placed financial pressure on his family, showing how gaps in support affect both a child’s learning and life at home.
Burnaby Now
Burnaby parent’s complaint alleging B.C discriminates against homeschoolers dismissed
A Burnaby parent’s complaint alleging discrimination against homeschoolers was dismissed. The case concerns how education rights and support apply to families whose children learn at home.
