Art Educator | Changing learning through progressive and experimental education models centred on PBL initiatives. Modernize education. Engage students. Challenge traditions.
Student Wellbeing and the Competency-Based Future As BC’s curriculum evolves toward competency-based learning, we’ve explored standards of learning, university admissions, personal statements, skill measurement, and equity. One crucial lens ties them all together: student wellbeing and holistic development. Competency-based education offers incredible opportunities. Students can focus on mastery, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration, moving away from traditional grades. They can see progress, gain confidence, and engage meaningfully with their learning. In theory, it allows education to be personalized, equitable, and authentic. But there’s a tension. With increased freedom comes responsibility—and pressure. Students are navigating ambitious pathways, balancing academics with extracurriculars, leadership roles, and experiences aimed at standing out for university admissions. Add AI into the mix, and we see an environment where the stakes feel higher than ever, and student time and energy are stretched across multiple priorities. As educators, parents, and policymakers, we must ask: how do we ensure that competency-based learning supports not just academic excellence, but social, emotional, and personal growth? How do we help students develop resilience, collaboration, and a love for learning while protecting their wellbeing? The answers may lie in clear standards, teacher collaboration, moderation across schools, and structures that prioritize student progress and equity over rankings and pressure. Competency-based learning has the potential to be transformative—but only if the system keeps students as the central focus, not just their achievements. Question for the community: How can we design competency-based education in BC to nurture both high achievement and student wellbeing—ensuring young people are prepared for university, life, and the challenges of an ever-changing world?
