Statement from the Board of Education Regarding Ministry of Education and Child Care Ministerial Order

Published:

September 18, 2024

Statement from the Board of Education Regarding Ministry of Education and Child Care Ministerial Order

The Board of Education acknowledges receipt of the Ministry of Education and Child Care’s administrative directive issued on September 17, 2024.

Our school district has consistently prioritized and remains committed to safety in schools and wishes to recognize the many partners we continue to work with to coordinate safety plans and enhance communication protocols. Last year, the Board invited police services to meet with us to discuss our joint responsibility for student safety. To ensure that approaches to communication regarding potential safety risks in community that may impact our schools are communicated in a clear, consistent, and timely manner, our Board invited police services to participate in the development of a communication protocol. We continue to rely on police services to communicate potential safety concerns which may impact our schools through formal channels and processes. In an effort to understand the risks associated with potential gang recruitment on the South Island, and events in community that may impact student safety at school, our Board requested the following information from police services:

  • any and all data pertaining to gang recruitment or other criminal activity involving youth, between 2015 to date;
  • any and all data pertaining to police call outs/calls for service to each SD61 school (broken down by each school) within the Police Department’s jurisdiction, between 2015 to date;
  • a copy of any and all Police policies and procedures related to vulnerable populations (including youth).

The Board is grateful for its ongoing partnerships and looks forward to future collaboration with local police services, Rightsholders,  educational partners,  the Ministry of Education and Child Care, and other professionals and organizations in community that continue to support student safety. We acknowledge that each party brings a unique lens and expertise to the table and together we can continue to ensure the safety of our schools.

The Board wishes to clarify the use of the word “safety” and highlight that in our school district, the safety of a student encompasses physical, environmental, cyber, psychological, emotional, and spiritual safety. With this holistic idea of safety in mind, the Board wishes to recognize some of the many ongoing and effective programs, actions, policies and protocols that continue to keep students and staff safe within our schools:

  • Programs-
    • Safer Schools
    • Second Step
    • Prevention Education through school advisories (increasing the positive relationships with Trusted and Caring Adults)
    • Mental Health Grants
    • Mobile Youth Services Team (MYST)
    • Island Sexual Health partnership
    • 2×10 practice
    • Assemblies and guest presenters including Harm Reduction, Naloxone, Tobacco and Vape Prevention and Reduction
    • Youth Empowerment
    • Expect Respect & a Safe Education (ERASE)
  • Actions-
    • Receipt of Worrisome Online Behaviour Report
    • Letter to parents and caregivers about the risk associated with potential gang recruitment
    • Invitation to police to host gang related information sessions at some of our secondary schools
    • Meeting with principals and vice principals to review the Code of Conduct and School Expectations at both middle and secondary levels
    • Established a bi-weekly check in to hear emergent concerns from secondary schools
    • Added ‘Safer Schools Update’ to middle and secondary Emergent Meeting agendas
    • Safer Schools Coordinator attends Safe Schools meetings to receive updates on gang related behaviours and trends in the Greater Victoria Area
    • Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Consent education for secondary staff and students
    • Associate Superintendents and Superintendent have checked in with middle and secondary principals on the start of the year and surface ongoing or new concerns
    • District Counsellor and Safe Schools Coordinator met and will continue to meet with school principals who have at-risk or identified youth with concerns
    • All elementary, middle, and secondary principals and vice principals have reviewed the Code of Conduct, the processes related to Lockdown, Hold, and Secure
    • Ongoing review of BDTA including Section 5 (7) and authority for searching a student’s backpack, locker
    • Monthly reporting on police call outs to schools
    • Summer reach out to police services prior to the new school year
  • Policies-
    • 1155 Complaint Process for a Resolution of Concerns
    • 1300 Acceptable Use of Digital Technology
    • 1305 Social Media Use
    • 4116 Sexual Harassment
    • 4303 Discrimination
    • 4304 Bullying and Harassment
    • 4305 Gender Identity & Gender Expression
    • 0 Personal Safety & Security
    • 1 Discipline
    • 2 Threats to Students, Employees, or Volunteer Sponsors
    • 3 Prohibition of Weapons in Schools
    • 4 Substance Abuse
    • 5 Smoking
    • 6 Student Attendance
    • 7 Student Suspensions
    • 5132 Student Dress Code
    • 5134 Student Input
    • 1 Child Abuse
    • 5145 Police Questioning of Students in Schools
    • 6114 Maintenance of Order
    • 03 Physical Restraint
    • 8400 Whistleblower Protection

On August 8, 2024, our Board and the Superintendent met with Minister Singh and Minister Farnworth. On August 19, 2024, we received a letter from Minister Singh, outlining the Minister’s additional questions and concerns. We informed the Minister’s staff that we would provide the Minister with a written response to each of her outstanding questions and areas of concern following our first Board meeting of the new school year on Monday, September 23. We are concerned that rather than engage in continued collaborative efforts alongside us and police services the Minister took this preemptive and unprecedented step so close to the provincial interregnum period.

The Board is optimistic and motivated to continue moving the safety conversation forward while considering the diversity and unique experiences of all students and families within our learning community. The Board will continue implementing trauma-informed strategies that are culturally appropriate for all, and encompass the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion.

The Board looks forward to highlighting our ongoing work when we provide a progress report to the Ministry of Education and Child Care, and subsequently our wider learning community, to maintain transparent communication that fosters trust and mutual respect.

Board of Education
School District No.61 (Greater Victoria)

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Background Information:

Contact:
Communications & Community Engagement
Greater Victoria School District
community@sd61.bc.ca

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