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Provincial election Final Voting Day Saturday, October 24, 2026 Advance voting October 16 to 21Where to vote
BC Ballot / Party platforms / Education and child care

Education and child care: where each party stands

SOGI 1 2 3 is a resource listed in a SOGI policy guide on the Government of BC’s site, and a ministerial order requires boards of education to refer to sexual orientation, gender identity or expression in their codes of conduct. $10 a Day ChildCareBC caps parent fees at centres in the program.

Party sites checked October 6, 2026

Each party on education and child care

The terms in plain words

What SOGI 123 is

Read the order (PDF)

What $10 a Day ChildCareBC is

The program page at gov.bc.ca

Provincewide testing now

  • BC tests every student’s literacy and numeracy in Grades 4 and 7 each year, in the Foundation Skills Assessment. Foundation Skills Assessment

Budget and enrolment

Ministry of Education and Child Care operating expenses, 2026/27
$10,068,764,000 Estimates, fiscal year ending March 31, 2027, p. 58
Child Care operating expenses, 2026/27 Net. The Estimates print gross 2,070,588 and external recoveries (1,123,366), in thousands of dollars
$947,222,000 Estimates, fiscal year ending March 31, 2027, p. 59
Child care funding in Budget 2026 Over three years
$330 million Budget and Fiscal Plan 2026/27 to 2028/29, p. 16
Public school enrolment, 2026/27 Budget estimate, full-time equivalents
597,569 Budget and Fiscal Plan 2026/27 to 2028/29, Table A7, p. 160
$10 a Day ChildCareBC spaces At more than 315 centres, as published December 4, 2024
More than 13,200 Frequently Asked Questions for Families The ministry’s Applicant Guide for the 2025 Intake prints “more than 17,500 $10-a-day spaces”.
New licensed child care spaces funded since 2018 More than 27,700 of them open. The New Spaces Fund is paused for new funding opportunities (program update for February 2026)
More than 42,200 ChildCareBC New Spaces Fund, page last updated July 15, 2026

The tables

Ministry of Education and Child Care, operating expenses by core business, in thousands of dollars
Core business2025/26 net2026/27 gross2026/27 external recoveries2026/27 net
Public Schools8,185,3168,384,859(12,000)8,372,859
Independent Schools589,091604,456—604,456
Transfers to Other Partners63,52771,038(5,756)65,282
Child Care857,2222,070,588(1,123,366)947,222
Executive and Support Services40,75944,476(4,706)39,770
British Columbia Training and Education Savings Program Special Account30,00130,001—30,001
Teachers Act Special Account9,0829,174—9,174
Total operating expenses9,774,99811,214,592(1,145,828)10,068,764

Source: Estimates, fiscal year ending March 31, 2027.

Public school enrolment, full-time equivalents
2025/26 updated forecast2026/27 budget estimate2027/28 plan2028/29 plan
Public school enrolment (FTEs)602,998597,569590,283581,451
School age (K–12)576,988572,887565,704556,998
Continuing Education796761761761
Distributed Learning (online)15,44014,28314,17914,053
Summer7,4227,4227,4227,422
Adults2,3522,2182,2182,218

Source: Budget and Fiscal Plan 2026/27 to 2028/29.

Recorded votes

  1. Third reading of Bill 22, Safe Access to Schools Act: passed, 49 to 23

    49 for 23 against 15 did not vote

    Votes and Proceedings

  2. Introduction and first reading of Bill M 213, Drug Use Prevention Education in Schools Act: passed, 92 to 0. It did not become law.

    92 for first reading 0 against first reading 1 did not vote

    How every MLA voted Votes and Proceedings

  3. Third reading of Bill 19, School Amendment Act, 2025: passed, 90 to 0

    90 for 0 against 3 did not vote

    How every MLA voted Votes and Proceedings

  4. Second reading of Bill M 213, Drug Use Prevention Education in Schools Act: defeated, 43 to 48

    43 for 48 against 2 did not vote

    How every MLA voted Votes and Proceedings

  5. Third reading of Bill 12, Safe Access to Schools Amendment Act, 2026: passed, 86 to 4

    86 for 4 against 3 did not vote

    How every MLA voted Votes and Proceedings

Keep comparing

All 15 issues, compared Every party’s commitments on every issueCompare any two parties Side by side, issue by issueWho is running in your riding Every candidate, by riding

Each party’s page, at education and child care

Sources