Federation of Independent School Associations Information

The Federation of Independent School Associations in British Columbia (FISA BC) is an umbrella organization of independent school associations formed in British Columbia. FISA BC was founded in 1966 when a diverse group of independent schools indicated that, "providing each of our schools could maintain its independence, there could be definite value in the formation of an affiliation among our schools which could promote common purposes" (Cunningham, 2002, p. 61). In addition to an agenda of common purposes, the founding fathers also considered it their mission to enable parents to exercise the right to choose the kind of education given to their children and to promote the rightful place and responsibility of independent schools within a democratic and pluralistic society (ibid. p. xiii). A complete history of the formation of FISA BC can be found in a book by Victoria Cunningham, entitled Justice Achieved: The political struggle of independent schools in British Columbia, published by Academy Press in 2002.