On December 10, 2003, the Minister of Education provided all members of the BC College of Teachers with a letter announcing the Government’s plan to amend the Teaching Profession Act in the Spring Legislative sitting.
The Minister’s letter indicates the proposed amendments will include the following measures:
- The council of the College of Teachers will be changed to provide for a majority of council members elected by members of the College. The new council will have 12 elected and 8 appointed members.
- Council members will be required to take an oath of office. The oath of office will ensure all members of the College council put the public interest first above all other interests.
The Government has also stated that it plans to:
- Encourage the College to include in its bylaws a public complaint process similar to processes in place for other professions. Bill 51, the Teaching Profession Amendment Act, which received Royal Assent on May 29, 2003, already provides for this. However, the Government has stated that changes will ensure existing processes in schools and school districts are respected.
- Encourage the College to create bylaws that include professional standards of competence. The interim council is already consulting with teachers, administrators, other educators, parents and the public on proposed standards. The standards are available on the BC College of Teachers website: http://bcct.ca/standards.html
The Minister of Education has indicated that the intent of the proposed changes is to improve the ability of the College to operate in the public interest and enhance the teaching profession, while respecting the wishes of teachers to have majority representation on the College council.