Surrey Teachers Face Licence Suspensions Due to Emails Landing in Spam Folders

Twenty teachers in Surrey, British Columbia, had their teaching licences temporarily suspended after missing critical emails regarding updates to their criminal record checks. The emails, which contained requests for additional information, were reportedly routed to spam folders, preventing teachers from completing the necessary steps to maintain their certifications.

Criminal Record Checks and Teacher Licensing

British Columbia’s Criminal Record Review Act mandates that teachers undergo a criminal record check every five years. The Ministry of Education and Child Care can initiate these checks, but teachers are often required to provide supplementary information, such as fingerprints, through the B.C. Criminal Records Review Program. Failure to submit this information within 90 days can lead to licence suspension, according to the ministry’s website.

The Role of Spam Filters

Amrit Sanghe, President of the Surrey Teachers’ Association, highlighted the issue, stating that the ministry was aware that communications were being directed to spam folders. “The frustrating part is that it seemed like the ministry knew that this communication was going to be routed into spam folders,” Sanghe told CBC News. He suggested alternative communication methods, such as mail, could have prevented the problem. Source

Ministry Response and Current Status

The Ministry of Education and Child Care acknowledged the potential for emails to be filtered as spam but stated it “does not control email service algorithms.” A statement from the ministry indicated that multiple attempts are made to contact teachers before a certificate is suspended. As of Thursday, February 26, 2026, fifteen of the twenty suspended teachers had been reinstated to their classrooms, with the remaining five cases still pending resolution. Source

Wider Impact Across British Columbia

The issue extends beyond Surrey, with a total of 160 teaching certificates currently suspended across British Columbia due to incomplete criminal record check information, according to the Ministry of Education and Child Care. Source

Surrey Teachers’ Association

The Surrey Teachers’ Association represents public school teachers, speech and language pathologists, school psychologists, teachers-on-call, adult education teachers, and summer school teachers working in the Surrey School District. Source Amrit Sanghe is the current President of the association. Source

Teachers who were suspended did not receive pay for the day they were absent from work. Sanghe emphasized the importance of ensuring teachers remain in the classroom, stating, “They should have been putting some plans in place to ensure that teachers remained where they belong, which is in front of their students.”