Creating A Safer and More Respectful Environment In Schools

EDUCATION--Creating A Safer and More Respectful Environment In Schools

Teachers and other staff from school boards across the province are learning how to create a safer, and more respectful environment in their schools.

The Department of Education is providing a series of training sessions to selected staff, who will then return to their school boards and conduct awareness sessions with all school community members.

The sessions clearly identify the rights, obligations and responsibilities that adults in the school community have when dealing with suspected cases of sexual abuse, discrimination and sexual harassment.

"This means even greater protection for our young people," said Education Minister Jamie Muir. "By developing stronger and more consistent policies, and increasing awareness among staff, school boards are taking a big step toward ensuring that students will be learning in a safer, more respectful environment."

Boards have received guidelines from the Department of Education and some have already developed strengthened protection of students policies.

"This is going to provide all adults in the school community with a very clear mechanism to report cases of child abuse, discrimination and sexual harassment," said Beth MacIsaac, director of human resources for the Cape Breton Victoria Regional School Board. "This will help bring forward issues so they can be addressed and dealt with."

The training sessions and policy framework guidelines were promised in the province's Learning for Life Plan, released in September 2002.

Other parts of the overall student protection strategy have already been put in place. They include mandatory criminal, child abuse and reference checks for all new staff, volunteers and other adults (including teacher education students) who work with students in schools.

The strategy also requires school boards to report to the registrar of teacher certification any time a teacher is terminated, resigns or is refused employment if a reference check reveals a reason related to the teacher's character or conduct that could make him or her unsuitable to teach in Nova Scotia.