Safe Schools Action Team released their report in Dec. 2008
→ Click here to read the Report. The report focuses on recommendations to prevent and address gender-based violence, homophobia, sexual harassment, and inappropriate sexual behaviour by students towards other students and to remove barriers to reporting such incidents in order to help students succeed and re-engage in school. The report offers the following Guiding Principles: - Safety is a precondition for learning.
- Every student is entitled to learn to the best of his or her ability.
- Every student is entitled to a safe and caring learning environment.
- Every student is entitled to learn in an environment free from
harassment and violence. - A quality education is about more than academic achievement – it is about the development of the whole person.
- The commitment to safe schools is a shared responsibility of
government, school board trustees and administrators, principals, teachers, support staff, students, parents, police, and other community partners.
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Roots of Youth Violence Report - Nov. 14, 2008
The Review of the Roots of Youth Violence was established to help identify and analyze the underlying causes contributing to youth violence and provide recommendations for Ontario to move forward. Co-chairs Roy McMurtry and Alvin Curling met with social agencies, community members and leaders, youth groups, the justice community and more. Here are some of their recommendations: Only an integrated and collaborative approach will succeed. There must be a body at the centre of government with the mandate to consider their advice and make linkages among ministries and with other governments and manage a process of both building and being responsive to communities across the province." The Province must address the level of poverty in Ontario, its concentrations and the many circumstances that accompany it.The Province must articulate more effectively its commitment to anti-racism and should address this urgent issue as a major priority in its response to our report. The Province must remove the barriers and disincentives to education that exist for many children and youth. The Province must take steps to bring youth mental health out of the shadows. The Province must increase the supply of decent, affordable housing units, diversify their locations and improve standards within both public and private accommodation.
→ Read the Executive Summary of the Report → Visit their website for more information or the full Report. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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Feb. 1, 2008: Amendments to Act are in effect
