P.E.I. Public Schools Branch says it takes every measure to ensure student safety

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The P.E.I. Public Schools Branch says it is taking every measure to ensure the safety and well-being being of its students.

Representatives from the branch told a legislative standing committee Tuesday there have been five investigations into sexual and physical behaviour between staff and students in Island schools over the past two years.

During the presentation to the standing committee on education and economic growth, director of student services for the Public Schools Branch, Terri MacAdam, laid out the measures her department has taken to ensure that students feel heard and safe at school.

The presentation was to inform the committee on what the PSB has been doing with its new Safe and Caring Learning Environments Policy and Procedures.

“There were policies in place in the past, but these are extensive revisions that were done in 2018,” said MacAdam.

PSB Procedures

The Public Schools Branch (PSB) is made up of 56 schools, approximately 19,000 students and 3,000 staff.
People who support staff and students after allegations of sexual misconduct have been made: PSB directors, PSB managers, senior department staff (administrator support leaders), consultants and student well-being teams.
The new Safe and Caring Learning Environments Policy and Procedure addresses sexual misconduct between: students to students, students to staff and staff to student.

MacAdam told the committee the branch had shared and discussed the revisions with public school principals, CUPE 3260, bus drivers, janitors and with public school staff.

Principals were then tasked to discuss the new policy with staff and students.

The policies do specifically outline sexual misconduct and also touch on other areas like physical harassment, bullying, discrimination, threats and abuse.

MacAdam said the policies address sexual misconduct between student to student, student to staff and staff to student. Sexual misconduct between staff would fall under human resources.

Once victims bring allegations forward, depending on each individual allegation and report, Child and Family Services or police may be involved, and allegations and reports are not limited solely to inside schools.

If police become involved, the PSB can halt their own investigation until police complete theirs.

Allegations and reports can and will result in school-based disciplinary actions, including suspension. Until investigations are complete, teachers are put on administrative leave until such a time it is deemed they can come back to school, if at all.

Going forward:

The Public Schools Branch (PSB) hopes to implement parent and student friendly versions of the new Safe and Caring Learning Environments Policy and Procedure.
PSB social media policies.
PSB social media kids help line.
School websites and school-based social media links to the new policy.
Ongoing expectation for principals to share new policies and regulary revisit existing policies with staff.
Principals to share and discuss policies with home and school groups.
Policy discussions and presentations available to school communities and District Advisory Committees.
Continued work on school codes of conduct.

The health curriculum in public schools have been updated, said MacAdam, to encourage discussions about healthy relationships and how to understand consent.

The new health curriculum is currently being piloted at six intermediate schools and six elementary schools (grades 1 to 3) around issues of consent, gender norms, bystander intervention and sexual assault.

MacAdam said one such project, called The Microphone Project, is based on Island musical artist KINLEY’s song, which was written after her own sexual assault at her prom and is being used as resource for students.

MacAdam said going forward, she hopes to incorporate infographic pamphlets for young children, social media sites to link policies and a kids' helpline for students.

“We have done a lot of training on this in recent years because policy is what’s written on a piece of paper, but training is paramount to people’s understanding, using and engaging with (the policy in) a school environment,” said MacAdam.

“Principals and all the people who are in close contact with students every day are trained. Well over 400 people.”

The Public Schools Branch has published MacAdam's presentation online, and the Safe and Caring Learning Environments Policy and Procedures is available at edu.princeedwardisland.ca.

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