TDSB releases 41-point plan to improve school safety
Posted April 9, 2015 6:11 am.
Last Updated April 9, 2015 6:28 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Toronto District School Board has released a four-point plan aimed at building safer schools.
The report is the product of an independent review into the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of Grade 12 student Hamid Aminzada, who died after trying to break up a fight at North Albion Collegiate in September.
The 19-year-old, who was an anti-bullying activist, was stabbed in the face and abdomen when he got between two students. He later died in hospital.
The report, released Wednesday, contains 41 recommendations for action in the areas of crisis response; caring and safe environments; policies, procedures and practices for safety in schools; and community engagement and support.
The report recommends inviting Toronto police staff to attend lockdown drills as well and working with police to create a public alert system when schools get locked down.
Policies around cellphone use during lockdowns should be more lenient, the report recommends. Standard procedure is to have cellphones powered down so that suspects will move past quiet rooms assuming no one is there. But the review found that keeping information lines open and allowing communication between staff and students and loved ones can reduce anxiety and stress. The review suggested cellphones be turned to silent or vibrate and to have communication limited to texting.
Currently support is offered immediately following traumatic incidents but the report recommends more follow-up to monitor those affected over the mid and long-term.
The report also recommended looking into improving TDSB door security as well as reviewing and replacing closed circuit television cameras in schools.
The TDSB created the three-person safety review team in October 2014 to look into school safety.
During the review, two community forums were held where parents and students met with members of the Toronto District School Board as well as the Safe Schools and Engaged Communities Steering Team to discuss their concerns over school safety.
Mobile users click here to read the full report from the TDSB.
School Safety and Engaged Communities Report
