Bill 8 the “Education Statutes Amendment Act, 2020” was passed in the spring of 2020 after the province entered a state of emergency on March 18, 2020. The state of emergency was lifted by Order of the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Ministerial Order No. M275, on June 30, 2021.
Bill 8 contains changes to the School Act and the Independent School Act.
Bill 8 eliminates automatic province wide access to internet-based courses by instituting agreements with the Minister to enrol students across districts.
Bill 8 requires that students enrol in their local school district for internet based courses if the school district has an agreement with the Minister of Education to do so.
It turns out that 50% of the per-student grant available has enabled Independent Distributed Learning schools over the years to offer personalized learning that met Ministry of Education standards of equity and accessibility while keeping enrolment fees at an affordable level. The Independent Distributed Learning Schools offer course and curriculum options that are highly individualized due to the flexibility in timelines and pacing that make it possible for students to learn in a way that best meets their needs.