Becoming a Teacher in British Columbia
Teaching is a career that offers you many benefits and exciting new challenges, with the bonus of impacting the lives of younger generations. Supporting, encouraging, and watching young people grow to be the best version of themselves definitely makes this a fulfilling career.
Moreover, the teaching profession provides endless opportunities to learn and grow. This not only keeps you on your toes but also helps you to constantly improve your skills and expertise while developing relationships with students from different age groups. If this is something that interests you, then read you are certainly on the right career path. Keep reading to learn how you can become a teacher in British Columbia.
Requirements for becoming a school teacher in British Columbia
The requirements for becoming a teacher in Canada vary provincially. To be eligible for a teaching job in British Columbia, you need a Certificate of Qualification from the Ministry of Education and Child Care. Whether full-time, part-time, or on-call, teachers require this certificate to teach in B.C. public schools. This certificate can also be used to teach at independent, First Nations, or offshore schools. The province also issues an Independent School Teaching Certificate and a First Nations Language Teaching Certificate, depending on the applicant's needs. This blog will only focus on the first certificate.
The Ministry of Education and Child Care is the governing body responsible for British Columbia's school system. They provide eligible applicants with the appropriate certification including the Professional Certificate, which allows candidates to secure employment in British Columbia’s Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education sector.
To obtain the Certificate of Qualification, applicants must meet specific requirements. Academic records, teacher training, ability to work with children, and experience all play a role in an applicant’s assessment. Applicants must be fit to teach and need to demonstrate proficiency in English or French.
Is there a specific degree required?
To qualify for a Professional Certificate from B.C.’s Ministry of Education and Childcare, applicants must have graduated from grade 12 (or an equivalent) as well as completed four years of post-secondary studies and a degree (or equivalent). These post-secondary studies need to meet specific academic and teacher education requirements.
Applicants must also complete a recognized teacher education program which covers topics such as professional education coursework, human development and learning, educational foundations, and curriculum and instruction among others.
You can visit the official B.C. government website to get the full details of the requirements.
What is the application process like?
Applying for the Ministry of Education and Child Care Professional Certificate starts with registering for a BCeID. Your BCeID account grants you secure access to your personal dashboard where you can apply for the professional certificate, track the status of your application, and perform other tasks related to your application.
It takes time to process your documents and application processing time depends on the number of applications received. Plan ahead to avoid delays.
Are there application fees?
The application for a professional certificate cannot be processed without paying the application fee. Application fees are non-refundable and depend on where you completed your teacher education program. For information on the fees for processing your application, click here.
Requirements for teachers who were trained in Canada but outside of British Columbia
Teachers transferring from another province to British Columbia need a Professional Certificate from B.C.’s Ministry of Education and Child Care to secure a teaching job. Such candidates are required to hold a valid and unrestricted teaching certificate from their region and meet British Columbia’s fitness to teach and language proficiency standards. If they completed a teacher education program outside of B.C., they will need their license to teach which needs to have been granted from that jurisdiction. In this case, applicants may qualify for a Certification of Qualification under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) without completing any additional coursework.
Requirements for internationally educated teachers
For applicants who have completed their training outside of Canada, familiarization training is required to get acquainted with the Canadian Education system. There are also country-specific requirements that you must meet. If the country you completed your training in isn't listed, simply submit your secondary school completion certificate, statement of professional standing and teaching certificate.
The final step: start looking for a teaching position in British Columbia
After meeting the requirements to obtain the Certificate of Qualification, you are ready to start your teaching career in B.C.! This means you can begin the search for education jobs in your area and apply to those that interest you.
Nowadays there are many different ways to find school jobs, and almost all of them are online. For example, a job board is a good place to start your search. There are a number of job boards with different angles, opportunities, and topics of interest. However, a job board entirely dedicated to jobs in the education sector will likely be your best bet in finding a teaching job in British Columbia. Our job board precisely meets that criterion.
At Jobs in Education, we are an online job board proudly dedicated to providing a broad selection of education-related jobs. We have a wide range of different positions and are constantly updating our database to bring you the latest jobs available. Teaching jobs, of course, is one of our main focuses. Browse through the Job Board section on our website to see the countless prospects we have and possibly find your next opportunity!
**Disclaimer: While this information was correct at the time of writing, updates and changes can be made at any time. We recommend readers do their due diligence by consulting the Ministry of Education and Child Care to confirm all information.
