Schools across Canada will recognize Anti-Bullying Day on Feb. 29 and School District 57 trustees showed their support by wearing pink at Tuesday night's public meeting.
The seven trustees formed a wall of pink as they faced public presenters who tried to convince the board of the merits of adopting a specific board policy to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer students from discrimination.
Among the presenters were two Prince George secondary school students, one of whom told the board teachers tend to be reluctant to penalize students who make homophobic comments, because they do not fear reprisals.
"Every day in our classes we continue to hear horrible things and nothing is done about it," said one student. "If somebody says, 'That's so black [referring to African-Americans]' they get suspended. If they say, 'That's so gay,' nothing is done."
Led by trustee Tim Bennett, the board's policy and governance committee had a month to review its existing District Code of Student Conduct and on Tuesday trustees expressed their concerns over what they see as a lack of clear policy on enforcement to clamp down on students who resort to derogatory or bullying tactics to persecute other students.
"Like trustee [Sharon] Bourassa, I have a big concern over the enforcement policy; there's a large segment of society that will not be educated," said trustee Trish Bella. "We have zero tolerance to bullying in any shape or form and that's what we have to get out there."
While superintendent Brian Pepper pointed there are defined policies that address enforcement and identify the consequences of bullying, Cindy Heitman, the district principal of curriculum and instruction, admitted the Safer Schools resource guidebook, released in 2005, needs to be updated.
She said the board needs to do a better job working with the community and partner groups on its student conduct policies and make sure schools have easier
access to the Safer Schools document.
Trustee Kate Cooke said the existing policy is vague and is not working to protect students and suggested the board adopt a separate policy that pertains to gay, lesbian and bisexual
students.
In anticipation of expansion in the province's mining sector and an increased need for trained employees, the school board unanimously approved a new trades, mining and environment program at Mackenzie secondary school. The introductory course, starting with Grade 11 students, will work in conjunction with the Mount Milligan copper/gold mine now under construction southwest of Mackenzie. The mine has agreed to pay the transportation costs of students to the mine to allow job shadowing, and plans to send mine employees to a job fair at the school.
The board voted 5-1, with one
abstention, to deny an application for the reinstatement of courtesy busing service until the end of June for a group of Heather Park elementary school families who live in the Nukko Lake area. District 57 secretary treasurer Bryan Mix said the district would have to provide an additional $216 per day to provide that service as well as a $2,500 supervision cost and trustees said that money would be better spent in the schools.
Details discussed in an in-camera meeting will result in the board receiving reports to monitor the implementation and development of the Northern Learning Centre's project-based program at Kelly Road secondary school.
The board will receive the first update in June, with reports to follow at the end of the first term and at the end of the first semester in 2012-13. The new choice program will be available to all district students in Grades 8 and 9.
The board agreed to a proposal by the District Parent Advisory Council to provide enrolment projection data for schools for inclusion in board reports.
Trustees deferred a DPAC request to set up an ongoing education sustainability committee with partner groups to focus on monitoring and assessing enrolment changes, school capacity and any significant events that could affect school operations.
Superintendent Brian Pepper announced Tuesday Garry Wadson will take over as principal of Vanway
elementary school, effective March 1.
Wadson will take over from Bruce Wiebe, who is retiring.
