Offshore School BC Programs

Guidelines and Requirements Regarding Offshore School BC Programs Teacher Certification

GUIDELINES

British Columbia (BC) Resident Applicants


Certification for BC resident teachers wishing to teach in a BC certified offshore school program must meet all teacher certification requirements as required by:

REQUIREMENTS

Recent changes to the Criminal Records Review Act, the Teaching Professions Act, and the Independent School Act now require that all teachers certified by the BC College of Teachers or the Inspector of Independent Schools, as the case may be, must authorize criminal record checks. In the case of teachers certified under the Independent School Act, teachers must provide the Inspector with authorization to conduct criminal record checks. Furthermore, employers of teachers must provide data to the Employment Registry. However, at this time, not all legislation applies to offshore schools offering BC certified programs and the BC certified teachers who work there.

Teachers Currently at Offshore Schools BC Programs

A.   BCCT certified teachers:

  1. Teachers certified by the BC College of Teachers already have criminal record checks included in their certification and BCCT membership and are not required to undergo new criminal record checks. However, they are required to maintain current membership in the BCCT.

B.  Independent School certified teachers:

  1. Those teachers currently holding certificates of qualification under the Independent School Act and who have Canadian citizenship (or permanent residence status or Canadian work visa) are required to provide the Inspector of Independent Schools with a Criminal Record Check authorization by September 30, 2008 in order to update their Independent School certificate of qualification. The total fee will be $40 ($20 for the criminal record check and $20 for the new certificate). Application for this can be completed online at: www.teachercert.educ.gov.bc.ca/isc/home.action.
    Teachers are encouraged to complete this requirement as soon as possible. Please note that after September 30, 2008, a failure to comply with this requirement will result in the certificate of qualification being suspended.
  2. Teachers currently certified as offshore teachers who are not Canadian citizens (neither Canadian permanent residents nor hold Canadian work visa) and who in the past have been issued independent school certification restricted to a specific offshore school BC program are required to obtain a Letter of Authorization:
    a. The former independent school teaching certificate will be replaced with a Letter of Authorization. The Letter of Authorization confirms that the person meets the requirements for a certificate of qualification under the Independent School Act, except for the Canadian citizenship (or Canadian permanent residence or Canadian work visa requirement).
    b. Such individuals are not required to provide the Inspector with a criminal record check authorization. For these individuals, criminal record checks remain the responsibility of the offshore employer.
    c. Letter of Authorization Process: Please provide current certificate holder’s name, certificate number, and school of employment by email to Leslie.Chiu@gov.bc.ca. A new Letter of Authorization will be issued and mailed c/o the school address.

Flowchart (32KB PDF)

New Applicants intending to Teach in Offshore Schools BC Programs

Please note that individuals who are seeking BC certification by the Office of the Inspector of Independent Schools need to apply differently, depending on citizenship.

A.

NEW INDEPENDENT SCHOOL TEACHER CERTIFICATION APPLICANTS WHO ARE CANADIAN CITIZENS (or Canadian permanent residents or who have a Canadian work visa) simply need to apply for teacher certification through the regular process and include a Criminal Record Check authorization. (Please note that this application may be completed online by the middle of August, 2008)
B. NEW APPLICANTS WHO ARE NOT CANADIAN CITIZENS (neither Canadian permanent residents nor in possession of a Canadian work visa) need to apply with manual application forms (this application must not be completed online at any time) and are not required to complete the criminal record authorization. If the applicant is deemed to meet teacher certification criteria, a Letter of Authorization (LoA) will be issued. Once the citizenship/residency/work visa requirements are met, the LoA may be changed to a BC Independent School certificate of qualification upon request.

Flowchart (16KB PDF)

Authorities of Offshore Schools BC Programs

  1. For offshore school authorities, there is no requirement to provide employment data for the Employment Registries (either to the BCCT or the Office of the Inspector of Independent Schools).
  2. Please note that by September 30, 2008, all teachers who are certified by the Inspector of Independent Schools under the Independent School Act and who have Canadian citizenship or residence status are required to have provided the criminal record check authorization.
  3. Offshore authorities need to be aware that teaching certificates that were issued to teachers who do not have Canadian citizenship (or permanent residency or a Canadian work visa) will be rescinded on September 30, 2008. All such certificate holders need to apply for the Letter of Authorization via email request to leslie.chiu@gov.bc.ca. For these individuals, criminal record checks remain the responsibility of the offshore employer.