Parent-Teacher Associations
Parent groups have been active in British Columbia schools for many years. On 8 September 1915, the first official parent organization was launched at Craigflower School, near Victoria. In the same autumn, two groups were meeting in Vancouver to discuss organizing parent teacher associations at Bayview Elementary and King Edward High School. Other schools in the Vancouver area soon followed, leading to the creation of the Vancouver and District Parent Teacher Federation.
By 1922, the idea of parent involvement in education had spread so far across the province that it was evident that a provincial organization was needed. More than 60 associations sent 283 delegates to a conference in Vancouver to create a plan for a provincial federation. On 22 April 1922, the British Columbia Parent Teacher Federation was formed and plans were made to promote the ideals and objectives of the organization in all schools in the province.
The BC Parent Teacher Federation was based in New Westminster. In 1927 the British Columbia organization became affiliated with the national Canadian Home and School Federation. PTAs and Home and School Associations were forerunners of Parent Advisory Councils, which were established in 1989/1990.
This note is based on a page on the BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils' web site entitled A Short History of Parent Involvement.
