Let's Talk about Schools:Educational Policy-Making in British Columbia in the 1970s and 1980s

Abstract

During the 1970s and 1980s educational policy making in the province of British Columbia was fraught with interest group, bureaucratic, and political interference and accommodation of interests. This article examines significant legislative and policy initiatives including The Independent Schools Act , the Teaching Profession Act, the formation of the British Columbia College of Teachers , and educational inquiries such as the Apple Report, Grad 87 and Let’s Talk About Schools . Original documentation and in-depth interviews with high ranking government bureaucrats, a Minister of Education, and other policy actors provides insight into how and why educational policy was developed. The restraint program of the 1980’s is discussed along with changes to the labour code that gave teachers the right to strike.