Ontario school board launches safety review after student death, charges - BERITAJA

Following the decease of a student astatine Bath Public School earlier this year, the Limestone District School Board is launching an outer reappraisal of schoolhouse information policies and student supports.

The reappraisal comes aft a younker was charged pinch criminal harassment, indignity to a dormant assemblage and 2 counts of indecent connection successful relationship pinch the March incident.

Lennox and Addington Ontario Provincial Police responded to Bath Public School connected March 9 for what constabulary described astatine the clip arsenic a aesculapian emergency.

One younker was taken to hospital, wherever they later died.

Police person not confirmed further specifications surrounding the student’s death. The identities of those progressive are protected nether the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

In a connection sent to families past Friday, the committee said the reappraisal will analyse existing safe schoolhouse policies and procedures to place areas wherever improvements could beryllium made.

“We are committed to keeping families informed arsenic this activity moves forward, and to make judge location are opportunities to engage,” the committee wrote.

“We want to guarantee what comes retired of this process reflects the needs and values of the full Limestone community.”

In a connection to BERITAJA, the committee added that, “Once location is much accusation disposable regarding the scope, timelines, and opportunities for engagement, we will supply an update to families.”

BERITAJA said pinch Rob Rai, elder executive pinch Safer Schools Together, about what schoolhouse boards should attraction connected pursuing tragedies involving students.

“If you person this awesome argumentation that says, ‘If you spot a kid struggling, you must travel steps one, 2 and three,’ but that argumentation sits successful a binder and isn’t accessible aliases enacted each azygous time successful schools, past that argumentation is lacking,” he said.

He told BERITAJA informing signs are often visible done behaviour, schoolhouse attendance, writings aliases societal media activity.

“If we’re missing clues about really children are behaving, missing schoolhouse aliases acting astatine home, past we miss opportunities to redirect young group who are struggling,” Rai said.

Rai besides said schools request to attack situations involving student deaths done a “trauma-informed lens,” focusing connected solutions alternatively than blame.

He pointed to societal media arsenic 1 of the biggest challenges facing schools today.

“If your full world is integer and each of a abrupt that spot becomes incredibly toxic, wherever do you spell for refuge?” Rai said.

Rai said the situation moving guardant will beryllium ensuring immoderate recommendations from the reappraisal are consistently implemented crossed schools and supported pinch training and resources for staff.

The incident is presently nether investigation by police.