Deputy Minister's Bulletin
Last updated on June 26, 2026
June 26, 2026 Edition
Happy Friday!
With this week marking the final week of classes for most students in B.C., I want to share my sincere gratitude for all you have done this year. Your leadership, dedication and support have made a meaningful difference for students, families and school communities throughout the province.
This week’s bulletin offers webinar opportunities related to the 2026 Nominal Roll, as well as several important updates, including new questions and answers on the Child Care Ministerial Order, information on the Child and Youth Disability Benefit, and a new anti-racism micro-grant opportunity.
We have also included new learning-focused resources, including BC Learning Pathways resources for French immersion educators and a Social Studies 10 supporting resource for Holocaust education developed by the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre.
Next Friday, July 3, will be the final Deputy Minister’s Bulletin of the 2025-26 school year. I look forward to connecting with you at the BCSSA Summer Leadership Gathering in Whistler in mid-August. I plan to host office hours again and will share information on how you can book time for us to connect one-on-one in next week’s bulletin.
Enjoy your weekend.
Kaye
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Register for the 2026 Nominal Roll learning series webinars
Registration for the 2026 Nominal Roll learning series webinars is now open. Indigenous Services Canada, in collaboration with the First Nations Education Steering Committee and the Ministry of Education and Child Care, invites you to attend a webinar on the Joint Verification Process.
The Joint Verification Process was introduced in the 2019-2020 school year as part of the implementation of the British Columbia Tripartite Education Agreement: Supporting First Nation Student Success. It is a key process between First Nations and school districts that helps ensure nominal roll students are appropriately entered and accounted for federally and provincially and that funding is calculated accurately.
This webinar will provide First Nations and school districts an opportunity to hear information that can impact the Joint Verification Process and ensure both First Nations and school districts have the same understanding of roles and responsibilities related to the process.
Register for the webinars at the links below. Each session will cover the same material and you are welcome to attend more than one session.
- Register for August 12, 2026, 9 am-11 am
- Register for August 19, 2026, 9 am-11 am
- Register for August 26, 2026, 9 am-11 am
Share with:
- Indigenous education leads
- Secretary-treasurers
Child Care Ministerial Order questions and answers
As previously announced, the Child Care Ministerial Order sets the requirements for what public boards of education must include in their child care policies. The order has been removed and replaced with an updated version.
Questions and answers are now available to help school boards and staff understand expectations under the Child Care Ministerial Order. The questions and answers describe the updated version, how to apply the changes, and how to use the new Child Care Change Form when there is a change to the use of school property that had been used for child care.
Share with:
- Early learning and child care leads
- Facility leads
Children and Youth Disability Benefit
The Province will implement a new Children and Youth Disability Benefit in April 2027. To prepare for this transition, the Ministry of Children and Family Development sent letters directly to families currently receiving autism funding, inviting them to submit documentation to determine their eligibility for the benefit.
Schools are not required to create new documentation to support the benefit initiative, including checklists, summary forms, or letters of reference. Schools may provide copies of existing documentation, including individual education plans, learning updates (report cards), positive behaviour support plans, safety plans (plan of supervision, individual safe work instructions), speech-language pathology assessments, and psychoeducational assessments.
The benefit is intended for children and youth with the most significant enduring functional support needs, whose disabilities are expected to require substantial support, supervision, and services throughout their lives. Those who are not eligible for the benefit may still qualify for the BC Children and Youth Disability Supplement and other community-based services and supports.
More information is available on the services for children and youth with support needs website.
Share with:
- Inclusive education leads
- Principals and vice-principals
New anti-racism micro-grant opportunity
In 2024, the Province launched the Racist Incident Helpline. The helpline is a province-wide reporting service that provides safe, confidential, and culturally responsive support to people who experience or witness racism. Available in more than 240 languages, helpline services include emotional support, guidance on reporting racist incidents, and referrals to community resources like mental health supports.
For the 2026-2027 school year, the Province is launching anti-racism micro-grants funded projects to support students between the ages of 16-24 years old. Students will be able to apply for a maximum of $1,000. Projects must be delivered during the school year and address racism by positively impacting their school community through fostering resilience, healing and cultural safety. Application information will be provided in September 2026.
Share with:
- Directors of instruction
- Inclusive education leads
- Indigenous education leads
- International education leads
- Mental health leads
- Principals and vice-principals
- Secretary-treasurers
- Sexual orientation and gender identity leads
New BC Learning Pathways: K-4 Foundational Français langue seconde – immersion and math learning resources
As part of the BC Learning Pathways series, the final K-4 Foundational Français langue seconde – immersion Learning Progressions and French K-4 Foundational Math Learning Progressions are now available for French immersion teachers to use to help students develop the key foundational skills in the curriculum.
The grade-specific descriptors show what proficiency in foundational reading, writing, oral language and math skills should look like at the end of the school year from kindergarten to Grade 4. The K-4 Foundational Learning Progressions are intended to support teachers in their planning, teaching, and classroom assessment of these key foundational skills.
Thank you to the teachers and education leaders for the ongoing collaboration throughout the development of these resources. The feedback provided by educators during field review was key to shaping the final learning progressions.
Share with:
- Directors of instruction
- French language leads
- Inclusive education leads
- Online learning leads
- Online learning principals and vice-principals
- Principals and vice-principals
Social Studies 10 teaching supports for Holocaust education
In alignment with the recent addition of the Holocaust to the Social Studies 10 learning standards, the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre released Fragments in Focus: A History of the Holocaust at the start of the school year. Fragments in Focus combines curated primary sources with historical text, integrated learning activities and structured teacher support so students can engage directly with this important period in history.
School districts or teachers can request classroom resource kits that accompany Fragments in Focus and support teaching and learning about the Holocaust with confidence. These kits are available in English and French and include a teachers guide, 30 student activity booklets and 30 historical-themed text booklets.
For more information or to order these kits, please visit the Fragments in Focus Classroom Resource Kit web page.
Share with:
- Directors of instruction
- Online learning leads
- Online learning principals and vice-principals
- Principals and vice-principals
Discipline outcomes
Discipline outcomes are posted to enhance the transparency of the processes and decisions made with respect to complaints and reports about educators. Recently, outcomes were posted regarding Jonathon Tyler Polishak whose teaching certificate was suspended for two days and Robert Ian Collett whose certificate was previously cancelled and who agreed to a 10-year ban on reapplying or being issued any authorization to teach in the K-12 education system.
Share with:
- Principals and vice-principals