The B.C. government is getting tougher with bad teachers, introducing legislation Wednesday to make it easier to fire those who run afoul of standards.

Education Minister George Abbott said he didn't expect the 41,000-member BC Teachers' Federation to send him roses in response to the proposed legislation.

But he said he believes it signals the start of greater shared responsibilities between teachers, the government and education organizations.

"It invites, I hope, a more respectful relationship," he said. "I don't expect the BCTF to boycott this. I am hoping that this will be the foundation for a better relationship with them."

Abbott's Teachers' Act gained initial support from the Opposition New Democrats who like the proposed new law aimed at giving the public confidence that teachers will face discipline in cases where misconduct is alleged.

"This is, in large part, a good thing," said NDP education critic Robin Austin. "It seems to take care of ensuring that the public interest comes first, ahead of any perceived perceptions that the teachers were going to be able to control, particularly, discipline which is something of major concern to citizens."

The BCTF was not immediately available for comment.

Abbott said the Teachers Act sets up a new system to certify, regulate and discipline teachers.

The new act dissolves the B.C. College of Teachers, replacing it with a 15-member B.C. Teachers' Council that represents all members of the education community.

The council's 15 voting members includes three teachers from the BCTF, five teachers elected on a regional basis and seven members from education groups, including B.C. School Trustees Association, B.C. School Superintendent's Association, B.C. Principals and Vice-Principals Association, B.C. Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils, First Nations Education Steering Committee, Federation of Independent School Associations and Association of B.C. Deans of Education.

The college of teachers has been under heavy criticism for years with government and parents groups complaining that the teachers' union controlled the regulating body.

College of Teachers board chairwoman Val Windsor said the college board is studying the legislation and has yet to formulate an official comment on the legislation and the college's future dissolution.

"All we know is that the legislation has been tabled and certainly it will take some time to get through the process," she said. "Until that time we are conducting business as usual at the college."

Abbott said the new council will set standards for teachers involving conduct, competency and discipline.

The new Teachers Act also includes the formation of a Discipline and Professional Conduct Board to hear complaints made against teachers.

The new board will deal with complaints and reports of alleged teacher misconduct and through hearings held by three board members, one of whom will be a member of the teachers' union.

In the past, the teachers' union has held a majority on panels hearing disciplinary complaints.

The government will also appoint a commissioner who will receive complaint reports and conduct investigations.

The changes come after the December 2010 report by former deputy education minister Don Avison who found the college of teachers had lost the confidence of B.C.'s education community.

Avison's report found that of the 270 complaints filed against teachers since 2003, not one resulted in discipline.

Among those reports were teachers who had their teaching credentials restored even though one was convicted of sexually abusing students, another was convicted of dealing drugs and a third forged court documents.

Abbott said he agreed with academic descriptions of teacher relations in British Columbia as a "long, dysfunctional marriage."

"We need to move beyond that," he said. "This is a model that will produce that outcome."

Abbott said student safety and increased confidence and transparency in the discipline and regulation of teachers are the goals of the new legislation.

The proposed Teachers Act comes as B.C. teachers are in a legal strike position, where they have been withholding some administrative duties, including completing report cards.