SURREY/DELTA — Surrey and Delta school districts are both adding two additional professional days to the calendar this year.
The move, both districts say, is to give teachers time to familiarize themselves with new curriculum material. It brings both district's Pro-D days for this school year from six to eight.
"This school year marks the start of a three-year rollout of the (new) curriculum," states a Delta school district release. "The redesigned curriculum is the result of years of hard work on behalf of teachers and the goal is to ensure all students are prepared to reach their full potential in an interconnected and ever-changing world."
In Delta, Monday Feb. 22 and Monday April 18 have been added as Pro-D days in 2016.
Students in Surrey already had an additional day off on Nov. 12, confirmed district spokesman Doug Strach
"We're looking at another one which would be in the spring time frame," Strachan added. "It's an extraordinary thing to give the teachers time to spend on professional development days around the new curriculum."
The province revamped the school curriculum.
"British Columbia's curriculum is being redesigned to respond to this demanding world our students are entering," states a government website. "To develop new models, the Ministry consulted with experts in the field. They suggested that to prepare students for the future, the curriculum must be learner-centred and flexible and maintain a focus on literacy and numeracy, while supporting deeper learning through concept-based and competency-driven approaches."
To read more about the changes visit Curriculum.gov.bc.ca.