To the Premier of British Columbia, the Minister of Education and Child Care, and School District 61:

Every day in SD 61 students are arriving at school with increasing complexities and as a result they enter classrooms without the Educational Assistant (EA) support they need. 

This is not about "extra academic help." For many students EAs are critical in helping to make learning accessible, safe and inclusive. When EA support is insufficient everyone feels it: students, staff and families.

What's happening:

• Government funding for students with a disability or diverse need is not keeping pace with rising classroom complexity and student needs
• Students who require support experience delays, gaps and inconsistent coverage
• EAs are stretched to support multiple classrooms with diverse needs  which is causing burnout and turnover
• Teachers are balancing instruction with managing unmet academic differential and social emotional needs

Why it matters:

Inclusive education is a fundamental human right, but without EAs it turns into a lottery.

• Some students can't access learning consistently
• Safety and supervision are strained
• Classroom learning conditions worsen for all students
• Families are left in constant crisis mode while being forced to advocate case-by-case 

What the Provincial Government of British Columbia Must Do:

The Provincial Government controls the funding model and policy expectations for education in our province. We call on the BC Provincial Government to:

1. Modernize Inclusive Education Funding Levels 1, 2 and 3 so that it reflects real needs and classroom complexity
2. Improved funding for children requiring intensive behaviour intervention so that they can have the support they need
3. Provide stable, targeted funding for EA staffing - not funding that can be diverted to cover other shortfalls
4. Ensure competitive EA wages across BC to improve recruitment and retention
5. Set clear provincial staffing expectations so that students' support doesn't depend on their postal code

What School District 61 Must Do:

Within its local authority, we call on SD61 to:

1. Continue to prioritize EA staffing in budget decisions and protect classroom supports
2. Publish plain-language EA allocation information (how hours are assigned
3. Engage Families meaningfully before final budget decisions, with accessible data and options

Call to Action

Please sign and share. This is about student safety, equity and access to education.

Inclusive education must be funded in practice, not just in principle.