Key Takeaways
- The provincial government of Manitoba is requiring all schools to undertake a safety review and submit an emergency response plan by December 25.
- The review is in response to a recent incident where a registered sex offender assaulted a child in a school bathroom.
- The government has set aside $500,000 for training sessions and the development of a province-wide online school safety training module.
- The Manitoba School Boards Association will convene a provincial school safety forum to discuss system-wide safety improvements.
- The government is considering adding more school resource officers, despite controversy surrounding the program in the past.
Introduction to the Incident
The provincial government of Manitoba has announced that all schools in the province must undertake a safety review and submit an emergency response plan to the Department of Education. This move comes after a child was assaulted by a registered sex offender in a school bathroom last week. Premier Wab Kinew stated that "nothing else matters unless our kids are safe" and that the incident should never have happened. The child was able to fight back and break free, but the incident has raised concerns about school safety and the measures in place to protect students.
Government Response
In response to the incident, Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Tracy Schmidt has directed all school divisions to submit an emergency response plan for review. The plan will include how access is controlled at all entrances, and all school divisions must submit their reports to the government by December 25. The province has set aside $500,000 for the school boards association to provide training sessions for all divisions and develop a province-wide online school safety training module for staff. The training will cover controlled access, risk identification, emergency response, and related safety protocols.
Incident Details
The incident occurred on November 27 at Darwin School in Winnipeg’s St. Vital area. A student was assaulted in a bathroom by Scott William George, a 28-year-old registered sex offender. George had previously been jailed for groping a six-year-old girl and was prohibited from having contact with children or being in spaces where they would typically be. However, he was not listed on the provincial government website for sex offender notifications, despite breaching his conditions earlier this year. The school was placed in a hold-and-secure situation after the incident, and George was arrested at a nearby mall after a witness followed him.
Criticism and Controversy
The government has faced criticism for not having George listed on the provincial website for sex offender notifications. A parent at Darwin School said that there should have been a community notice issued about George after he breached his conditions, so that schools in the area would be on alert. Premier Kinew acknowledged that George should have been listed on the website and that a community notice should have been issued. The incident has also raised controversy surrounding the school resource officer program, which was previously criticized for leading to increased risks and feelings of fear and discrimination among certain student groups.
Future Plans
The Manitoba School Boards Association will convene a provincial school safety forum to discuss system-wide safety improvements. The forum will bring together education leaders, law enforcement, child welfare partners, and community experts to share best practices and discuss ways to improve school safety. The government is also considering adding more school resource officers, despite controversy surrounding the program in the past. Education Minister Schmidt stated that school resource officers have a role to play in Manitoba and that the government supports their role. However, the decision to add more officers will depend on the needs of individual school communities.
