FAQs
Most parents arrive here tired, confused, and questioning themselves. You may have asked for help clearly and in good faith, only to meet delay, dismissal, or endless process. You may wonder if you are overreacting, misunderstanding the system, or asking for too much. You are not.
K12 Complaints turns parent lived experience into plain-language tools for naming barriers, documenting concerns, and deciding what to say next. These resources are not a substitute for advocacy or legal advice. For broad overviews of general topics, also see Topics.
Am I being unreasonable or asking for too much?
Requesting legally required accommodation is not unreasonable. Feeling "too much" is a common effect of repeated denial, tone policing, and procedural delay—not a reflection of the legitimacy of your request. What the law guarantees The BC Human Rights Code establishes…
Am I obligated to send my child to school if they have been harmed there?
Many parents feel frightened to keep their child home from school, even when the child is clearly distressed or traumatised. Families are often told that school attendance is mandatory and may worry that lawyers or child protection authorities will…
Can a school deny accommodation without giving a reason?
No. While this happens often in practice, accommodation decisions must be based on clear reasons and evidence. Failing to explain why a request is denied is usually a procedural mistake that matters in complaints and reviews. What the law…
Can a school deny an IEP for a child with ADHD in BC?
When a school tells you that your child cannot have an IEP because the diagnosis is "only ADHD," you are watching a practised move — a budget rule dressed in the costume of a rule about your child. The funding category and the duty to accommodate are separate things, and almost everything you need lives in the gap between them.
Can a school take away my child’s ARFID eating accommodation?
When your child has an accommodation that is working, such as eating in a resource room with a support teacher, or eating in a special area of the classroom with a friend, or special preparation of their meal…
Can a student attend a field trip after being absent from school?
Usually, yes. A student should not automatically be excluded from a field trip just because they have missed school, especially if the absence is connected to disability-related needs, mental health, bullying, medical treatment, trauma, lack of support, or…
Can I appeal a decision to the BC Education Ministry?
A Section 11 appeal is a formal process under the BC School Act that allows parents and students to ask the Superintendent of Appeals to review certain school district decisions. It is often presented as the main accountability mechanism available to families when serious…
Can I pursue more than one complaint pathway at the same time?
Yes. Many families assume they must choose one path and exhaust it before opening another. In reality, different pathways address different dimensions of the same harm, and pursuing them in parallel is not only permitted — it is…
Do I have to move my child to a new school if the district asks?
Families do not have to agree to a school move without clear reasons, documented supports, and honest discussion of rights, barriers, and choice.
How can I get help?
When you bring an advocate into a meeting about your child's education, something shifts — and it is almost never what parents expect. Most families imagine that involving a third party will escalate the situation, that the school…
How can I make a teacher complaint?
The Teacher Regulation Branch, often called the TRB, deals with complaints about certified educators in British Columbia. This process is separate from a school district complaint. A district complaint is usually about what the school or district did. A…
How do I file a complaint against a teacher in BC?
You probably have tried everything else first. You have written the polite emails, attended the meetings where nothing changed, listened to reassurances that dissolved within days, and absorbed the particular exhaustion of being told that patience is the…