“Today, the NDP released a platform that includes new commitments of a counsellor for every school and an education assistant for every Kindergarten to Grade 3 classroom. There are also continuing commitments to provide more support for kids with learning disabilities, expand before- and after-school care in every school district, and establish faster pathways to teacher certification.

Classrooms are increasingly complex, and kids are dealing with more mental health challenges than ever before. It’s important to see the NDP make a firm commitment to add critical supports to our schools and students. British Columbia’s public education system is experiencing severe staffing shortages, and these kinds of changes are necessary to ensure that kids can receive the support they need every day.

School counsellors and education assistants (EAs) play critical roles in early intervention so kids can thrive for years to come. Providing this support through education is evidence based, cost effective, and provides for a continuity of care for kids and families that spans years.

We still need a long-term plan to solve the teacher shortage, and the BCTF will continue advocating for this as we approach the next round of bargaining set to start in 2025.

Teachers want what parents want—a robust, inspiring, and engaging public education system that lifts everyone up.”

– BCTF President Clint Johnston

Background (as of spring 2024)

• The average ratio for school counsellors to students in North America is 250:1. In BC, it’s 693:1.
• There are 1,586 public schools in the province.
• There are 1,040 FTE counsellors across all schools.
• Currently, there are approximately 950 schools with between 150 to 693 students (whose counselling FTE is less than 1.0 FTE).
• Approximately 450 school counsellors are needed to bring the FTE up to 1.0 at these schools.
• There are approximately 8,200 K–3 classrooms in BC.
• There are 14,000 FTE EAs in BC. Out of that, 6,000 EAs are currently in K–3 classrooms.
• In order to staff 1 FTE EA per K–3 class, an additional 2,200 EAs are needed.