LATEST STORIES:
Review panel releases anti-bullying recommendations for HWDSB
The review panel set up in the wake of the murder of a 14-year-old Hamilton student has released a draft of anti-bullying recommendations.
Devan Selvey was stabbed to death by another 14-year-old behind Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School on October 7th, 2019. It was learned afterwards that Devan was subjected to repeated bullying while at the school.
Today, the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) released their draft recommendations of ways the board can improve the way it handles bullying.
1. Elevate student voice, agency, leadership & ownership
2. Review special education plan & reflect upon impact of self-contained programs on student belonging & inclusion
3. Improve communication with & meaningfully engage parents
4. Equip schools & staff with tools & resources for effective response; utilize PREVNet tool kit
5. Review existing bullying policies & procedures through lens of equity, anti-racism & anti-oppression
6. Address inconsistent adherence to existing bullying prevention & intervention policies, procedures & guidelines 15 Overview of Draft Recommendations (cont’d)
7. Establish clear vision for bullying prevention & intervention as well as positive school climate work, develop core organizational values & incorporate safe schools outcome targets
8. Review leadership development strategy; incorporate competencies that enable a whole child, student-centred environment
9. Strengthen & build upon community partnerships; leverage community resources & expertise
10. Seek commitment from Ministry of Education to provide school boards with supporting conditions that prioritize Safe & Accepting Schools
Today’s release follows more than a dozen sessions with school community groups and after gathering results from an online survey sent to students, parents and caregivers.
The survey found that 60% of HWDSB students said they had experienced being bullied at some point, while 20% of students surveyed said they suffered repeated bullying.
The board plans a series of community events aimed at getting feedback on the draft recommendations and plans to issue its final report in late January of next year.
