They're not happy about it, but B.C. teachers have voted to comply with a Labour Relations Board ruling and will administer the controversial Foundation Skills Assessment.

The B.C. Teachers' Federation announced the decision Wednesday evening.

BCTF president Irene Lanzinger said just because teachers voted 83 per cent in favour of complying with the board's ruling doesn't mean they agree with the decision.

"We will be making it clear to parents and the public that we are in no way agreeing with, or are less concerned about, the tests and their continued use and misuse," Lanzinger said.

"Teachers have serious concerns about the impact of the FSA on students and on public education."

The assessment is written by all Grade 4 and 7 students in the province and tests reading, writing and math.

The BCTF says the test is unfairly used by organizations like the Fraser Institute to rank schools throughout the province and doesn't help students learn or teachers teach.

The BCTF also argues the test wastes time and resources and can't be used to diagnose learning problems.

Lanzinger said this vote does not end the federation's campaign against the test and that teachers cannot in good conscience recommend that any parent support its administration.

"We recommend to parents that they write a letter to the principal requesting that their child be exempted from FSA testing," she said.

Eighty-five per cent of teachers voted against administering the exam in December.

On Monday, the Labour Relations Board ordered teachers to administer the test, equating an unwillingness to do so to an illegal strike.

With files from The Canadian Press