Ministry Policy Site

What is Policy?

Policy is a plan of action in which the Ministry of Education has developed clear rules and expectations to guide the delivery of programs and services to the public.

Policies can be either formal or informal. Formal policies often follow a precise format. This approach has been used on the ministry's policy website. All polices on the Find A Policy page follow a consistent format. This provides a standardized way for the ministry to provide policy advice and direction to education leaders and partners.

Policies can be communicated through various policy instruments, which can include: laws, fines, contracts, partnerships, the funding formula, government direction such as the throne speech, and many others. Policy can also be communicated informally through correspondence.

In the Ministry of Education, there are different kinds of policy:

  • The "musts" which require compliance (e.g., the School Act requires children aged 5-16 to attend school)
  • The "shoulds" which encourage or provide incentives (e.g., school planning councils should consult the wider education community)
  • The "mays" which are enabling (e.g., providing Boards of Education with more flexibility when establishing local school calendars).

For more on how policy integrates with legislation, and a clarification of the roles of the various education policy-making bodies in British Columbia, see:

To see current B.C. Ministry of Education policy, Find A Policy, or see Policy Changes to review recent developments.