The minister of education has announced changes to the Schools Act as they relate to the integration of the school board into the Department of Education.

Those changes include establishing a Provincial Advisory Council on Education to ensure that school councils and parents have a voice concerning education, and to advise the minister on matters related to the K-12 system. The requirement for a school board would be eliminated.

Education Minister John Haggie says the amendments are a step in the journey of trying to improve educational outcomes, a big part of which, he says, is the integration of the school district and government.

Haggie says the amendments come from advice given by the integration board as a why to facilitate the transition. He says these are steps that can be taken now, noting the importance of getting it right.