The following is taken from the Hansard record of earlier today. This is the third bill introduced this week related to education. There are many detailed minor changes in this bill. One that the minister didn’t mention in her introductory speech is an admendment to the School Act that allows the chair of a school board to thrown any one other than a trustee out of a meeting if the chair (or the majority of the trustees) deem the individual to be disruptive. In addition, being disruptive will no become an offense under the legislation.
Introduction and First Reading of Bills
EDUCATION STATUTES AMENDMENT ACT, 2007
Hon. S. Bond presented a message from Her Honour the Lieutenant-Governor: a bill intituled Education Statutes Amendment Act, 2007. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Hon. S. Bond: Mr. Speaker, I move that the bill be introduced and read a first time now. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Motion approved. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Hon. S. Bond: I’m pleased today to introduce Bill 22, the Education Statutes Amendment Act, 2007. This act supports our government’s commitment to school safety and to an education system that is transparent and accountable to parents, students and communities throughout British Columbia. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Under this legislation, school boards must establish codes of conduct for their districts to help prevent bullying and harassment at their schools. It also introduces new measures to make school district business companies more accountable and transparent and to allow the province to communicate directly with our teachers. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Miscellaneous amendments to the School Act will include the additional use of personal education numbers, will more accurately describe the role of the board of examiners, will prevent conflicts that may arise when the school funding announcement date specified in the School Act precedes the provincial budget announcement, will partially reimburse students for expenses incurred in earning an external credential or post-secondary credit, and will reflect titles currently being used by the francophone education authority, the Conseil scolaire francophone. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Other amendments include clarifying that only the Ministry of Education can issue Dogwood graduation certificates, and making full financial reporting possible for the College of Teachers’ annual meetings. These legislative changes deliver on our government’s commitment to ensure that B.C. students are safe, that the education system in our province is transparent and accountable, and that it runs as efficiently as possible. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Hon. Speaker, I move that the bill be placed on the orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Bill 22, Education Statutes Amendment Act, 2007, introduced, read a first time and ordered to be placed on orders of the day for second reading at the next sitting of the House after today. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY
Related Education Week Legislation and DM’s Newsletters
- It doesn’t rain, but it pours. . . . This week is setting a record for number of DM’s Newsletters. Read todays on, you got it –Bill 21– on disciplining teachers in public, online. Download the March 27th issue. You can read what was said in the legislature today here.
- Newly released to coincide with the introduction in the legislature of Bill 20 (changes yet again to the school act; read article in today’s Times Colonist) is the DM’s newsletter explaining all the reasons why. Download the special Monday, March 26th issue. Proceedings in the legislature can be read from Hansard