GOV’T HOPES FOR EARLY RELEASE
Anti-bullying strategy on its way
Education Minister Don Morgan has asked for the province’s anti-bullying strategy to be released as soon as possible, following another suicide of a Saskatchewan teenager in which bullying may have been a factor.
Thirteenyear-old Savhanah Turcotte took her own life last week in Regina, and her mother Kelly has said she thinks bullying was a factor.
Morgan had said last week that the report by the legislative secretary on anti-bullying, Sask. Party Saskatoon MLA Jennifer Campeau, along with the government’s response to her recommendations, would be released during anti-bullying week, which is from Nov. 18 to Nov. 22.
“I think the sooner the better,” Morgan told reporters in Regina on Monday, after the issue of the release date came up during question period. Morgan said he has asked officials to do “everything they can to speed it up.”
Morgan first mentioned asking for the report to be released sooner while speaking with reporters in Saskatoon earlier in the day, telling them the work was “nearly finished.” At the legislature, he said it won’t come out before Oct. 31, which was the deadline given for any submissions being made to the process.
“Some of the suggestions that are there are really worthwhile,” he said in Regina, reiterating that the provincial government’s anti-bullying strategy will not include any legislative action.
Rather, the province will wait to see what legislative changes come forward at the federal level. Morgan spoke of a desire to make supports available through the Internet and social media.
“We need to have a sensitizing process for parents, for teachers, so they can understand when a young person is in trouble, because young people don’t talk about their experiences. They keep things to themselves, so I think people have to learn the skills to look for the subtle clues that are there,” Morgan said.
Noah Wernikowski, a communications officer for the Regina Catholic School Division, also said that students having problems need to be aware that staff are available to talk to and help. In terms of the division’s bullying prevention program, it tries to create a school environment where students feel “safe, comfortable and happy.”
“We have anti-bullying lesson plans available that many teachers take and teach their students organized according to age,” Wernikowski said.
The school division has resources, such as a student bill of rights and a poster, that define bullying and inform students on how to get help if they feel they are being bullied.
Wernikowski noted that although bullying has been suggested as a factor in Turcotte’s death, “we have to be careful about attributing causes” and that there weren’t any reports of bullying.
“This was very much an unexpected and tragic event that has everyone, including ourselves, asking questions,” he said.
Regina Public Schools also has bullying prevention information available on its website, including shared values of student and staff — I Respect, I Belong, I am Responsible, and I Want to Know — that help foster a “safe, caring, and affirming environment.”
Besides prevention programs, anti-bullying also focuses on intervention for students in crisis that involves professionals such as psychologists and guidance counsellors.
NDP Opposition associate critic for education David Forbes blasted Morgan during question period Monday, calling it “outrageous” that the minister suggested last week the report would be released during anti-bullying week.
“That’s simply unacceptable. The need for action is urgent,” Forbes added, noting that Campeau’s final official consultation meeting on the strategy was in June. Forbes called for her work to be released publicly right away.
Turcotte’s death came a month after North Battleford mother Kim Loik said her teen son Todd had killed himself after he was bullied online and through text messages.
“I just want to say, my heart goes out to the families that were affected. I can’t imagine a worse thing for a parent to go through than losing a child, but even worse when it’s to a suicide. It’s just heartbreaking to see that happen,” Morgan said Monday.