Q : Where can I find a listing of the courses that are required? Do students have to take all these courses?

A : Kindergarten to grade 9 students are expected to meet the requirements as set out in the Required Areas of Study In An Educational Program Order (PDF, 31KB).

Grade 10 to 12 students are expected to meet the requirements of British Columbia’s Graduation Program.

The provincial courses that align with the Required Areas of Study In An Educational Program Order and the requirements of the Graduation Program can be found on the Curriculum website.

Q : Are there other courses not included on this website?

A : Boards of education and independent school authorities are able to develop locally relevant courses which meet the needs of their schools and their communities, while providing choice and flexibility for students. Board/Authority Authorized (BAA) courses and not for credit Locally Developed (LD) courses can provide unique electives for students and supplement the ministry-developed provincial curriculum.

Information about BAA courses is available on the Graduation Program website.

A database of BAA courses is available on the BC School Trustees Association website.

Information regarding courses other than BAA courses, can be found in the ministry’s Course Registry, a central source for information about K-12 courses which are or have been available for instruction within the province. The Course Registry contains courses developed by the ministry, external organizations (e.g. the Canadian Red Cross or Young Drivers of Canada), Locally Developed (LD) courses and Career Program (CP) courses.

Q : I am looking for a course on a particular subject but can’t find it.  How can I find out if the course exists?

A : There are more courses available across the province than those developed by the Ministry of Education and presented on the provincial curriculum website. Visit the ministry’s Course Registry home page for information about all ministry-developed courses, , courses developed by external organizations (e.g. the Canadian Red Cross or Young Drivers of Canada), Locally Developed (LD) courses, as well as historical data about Career Program (CP) courses.

Questions about Locally Developed and Board/Authority Authorized courses should be addressed to your school district’s board of education or independent school authorities.

Q : What if I don’t want my child learning about sensitive topics in the classroom?

A :  The ministry’s policy Alternative Delivery - Health and Career Education Curriculum, in effect since September 2006, outlines how students and their parents/guardians may, in consultation with their school, arrange for alternative delivery of instruction with regard to certain Prescribed Learning Outcomes.

The Alternative Delivery Policy (ADP) applies only to the Health curriculum organizer of Health and Career Education K to 7, Health and Career Education 8 and 9, and Planning 10. ADP does not apply to any other Prescribed Learning Outcomes in Health and Career Education K to 7, Health and Career Education 8 and 9 or Planning 10. Nor does it apply to any other British Columbia provincial curriculum.

Q : Is the curriculum different for independent schools? Distributed Learning? Homeschooling?

A : Group 1 and Group 2 independent schools and distributed learning (DL) schools offer education programs consistent with Ministerial Orders that meet the ministry Prescribed Learning Outcomes of the provincial curriculum.

Details about independent schools are in the guide Overview of Independent Schools in British Columbia (PDF, 45KB).

Information about DL courses is available from LearnNowBC.

Homeschooling is an alternative method of teaching where the parent instructs a child at home. Homeschooling is the full responsibility of the parent, is not supervised by a British Columbia-certified teacher, is not required to meet provincial standards and is not inspected by the Ministry of Education. A homeschooled education program may contain provincial curriculum, but is not required to.

Q : I’m moving here from another province and I think my child has already taken some of these courses. Will they have to take them again?

A : Local authorities are responsible for assessing the student’s prior learning and skill levels, and then making decisions about what grade a student will be placed in and their education program, following ministry policy as appropriate. Questions should be directed to the local board or education authority.

Q : If my child has met the objectives in the ministry’s curriculum through a different course or program, do they have to take the ministry course?

A :  The ministry recognizes that learning is a life-long activity and that students may learn in a variety of ways, some of which can take place outside British Columbia or outside the province’s school system. Students can challenge courses based on prior learning or learning outside the province’s school system.

They must be able to provide compelling evidence of their success and demonstrate how their learning meets the ministry’s Prescribed Learning Outcomes for the course they are challenging. If the course being challenged has a required provincial exam, then students must write that exam as part of the assessment of their course challenge.

For more details read the ministry policy Earning Credit through Equivalency, Challenge, External Credentials, Post-Secondary Credit and Independent Directed Studies.

Q : Where can I find an overview of B.C.’s curriculum policies, process, etc?

A : www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/

Q : Who decides what the provincial curriculum is? What’s the process?

A : The provincial curriculum is designed to prepare students for life after secondary school, with a holistic approach that goes beyond marks and includes human, career and social development. Research and public consultation form an integral part of the ministry’s ongoing process for revising existing or developing new curricula. The process includes consultation with educators and subject-area experts, as well as opportunities for public review and feedback.

In addition to the ministry-developed provincial curriculum, Boards of education and independent school authorities may develop courses that meet local needs and interests. Board/Authority Authorized (BAA) courses can be for credit and be used to satisfy graduation requirements; Locally Developed (LD) courses may not be used for credit towards graduation, but to enhance student learning. BAA courses provide additional choice and flexibility for students, while meeting the local needs of their schools and their communities.

Q : How often is the curriculum updated? How does that process work?

A : Provincial curriculum is revised or developed for a variety of reasons:  recognized need (e.g., stronger emphasis on environmental concerns); a political priority (e.g., health through physical activity); or current research of a particular area of study that suggests a need for revisions (e.g., early numeracy and literacy research).

The process is similar, whether the curriculum is being revised or developed.  In general, this includes consultation with educators and subject area experts, developing draft curriculum documents, which are made available for public review and consultation.

Information about curriculum under development or revision is available in the Curriculum Implementation Schedule.

Q : How can I monitor changes or additions to the curriculum?

A : Subscribe to the ministry’s Curriculum Information Updates service to keep up to date on curriculum issues and developments. Information about the update service is posted at the bottom of the Curriculum home page; you can sign up by sending an email to:
L_educ_curriculum_information-join@lists.gov.bc.ca

Q : How can I participate in the curriculum review process?

A : Public input plays an important role in shaping British Columbia’s provincial curriculum. The ministry considers all feedback from any individuals or groups when revising or developing K-12 curriculum prior to making final decisions.

Draft versions of all provincial curricula in development or undergoing revision are always posted for public review and input on the ministry’s website.

Q : How can I get the course I’ve developed added to the provincial curriculum?

A : Boards of education and independent school authorities can develop local courses to supplement the provincial curriculum. Suggestions should be addressed to the education authority involved. Comments, questions or suggestions about the ministry’s provincial curriculum should be addressed to the Education Standards Unit: EDUC.learningdivision@gov.bc.ca

Q : Is there a list of recommended textbooks?

A : Learning resources may be reviewed and recommended when provincial curriculum is being created or revised and these are included in the Catalogue of Learning Resources and the Grade Collections.

In addition, using local policies, boards of education and independent school authorities may evaluate and approve learning resources for local use.

Q : Do teachers have to use the resources listed in the Catalogue of Learning Resources?

A : No. Teachers may use resources that have been reviewed and recommended by the ministry, or may use other learning resources that have been approved under local learning resource evaluation and approval policies. 

Boards of education and independent school authorities are required to maintain local procedures and criteria to evaluate education resources and programs for local approval, allowing them to address the specific needs of their own students, teachers and communities. Most boards and many authorities are members of the Educational Resource Acquisition Consortium, through which they collaborate on evaluating resources and negotiating agreements on collective purchases.

Q : I have a new learning resource or textbook; how can I get it into the schools?

A : The Ministry of Education may evaluate learning resources and textbooks when revising or developing new provincial curriculum. Additionally, boards of education and independent school authorities also evaluate learning resources for use in classrooms. Educational Resource Acquisition Consortium (ERAC) may also evaluate resources at the request of their members, boards of education and independent school authorities.

Q : These pages have changed; will my old Favourites bookmarks still work?  

A :  Some bookmarks may continue working for a few months since many old addresses are being rerouted. It is advisable when using bookmarks to make sure you update them if the Internet address has changed. The left-side navigation bar on the Curriculum homepage may help relocate pages you previously had bookmarked.

The search engine may also be helpful in locating content.

Q : Is there an index or site map for information about curriculum?

A : No. The links on the Curriculum homepage and in the left-side navigation bar may help locate the pages you want to visit. The search engine may also be helpful in locating content.

Q : How can I find the right link when the link in your curriculum documents is broken? Who can I report broken links to?

A :  Please use the "Curriculum Contact” link at the bottom of the left-hand navigation bar to let us know about broken links or other website problems.

Q : I have a question that is not addressed here.  Who do I contact?

A : Use the "EDUC.learningdivision@gov.bc.ca” link at the bottom of the left-hand navigation bar.