Misuse of tech now the No. 2 reason for suspension
Inappropriate use of technology is now the second-most common reason for student suspensions in the Okanagan Skaha School District.
Seven such suspensions were handed down during the 2016-17 session, compared to just two in the previous three years combined, according to data The Herald obtained from the school district in response to a freedom of information request.
Inappropriate use of technology commonly involves making threats towards others via social media, said assistant superintendent Todd Manuel, who described the issue as a sign of the times.
“Certainly with the proliferation of cellphone use, we have had to ensure students understand what appropriate use of technology looks like, and teach our students (that) when they engage in behaviour that is unsafe, there will be a response from our schools,” he said in an email.
“We also recognize that the increased availability of technology can be a powerful learning tool for our students. With this in mind, our schools continue to support the teaching and appropriate use of technology.”
Despite the problems associated with the increasing prevalence of technology, though, drugs remain the No. 1 reason for student suspensions.
Sixteen suspensions were handed out for using drugs at school last year, accounting for nearly a third of all such sanctions.
Marijuana continues to be the most common drug seen in schools, said Manuel, “and administrators ensure their responses to such incidents – and those involving alcohol – include counselling and education.”
Assaults, poor behaviour, booze, threats, e-cigarettes and weapons rounded out the list of reasons for suspensions.
All told, there were 56 suspensions assessed last year, up from 49 in 2015-16 and 44 in 2014-15, but down from 80 in 2013-14.
Manuel said the slow rise “is difficult to categorize as a meaningful trend” due to the relatively small sample size, and noted school administrators are now using a restorative justice-type process in some cases where discipline is required.
“Suspension is always the last option our administrators want to use when addressing student misbehaviour; however, it is sometimes a necessary part of responding to help students to learn from mistakes, and at the same time, ensuring our schools are safe environments for all,” he said.
Manuel also noted the district was responsible for approximately 5,700 kids last year, and “the vast majority of our students are doing exceptionally well in our schools and rarely find themselves in a situation where suspension is being considered.”
The Herald requested suspension data for individual schools, which has been provided in the past, but was denied.
Secretary-treasurer Bonnie Roller Routley wrote in a covering letter on the FOI response package that the district now believes doing so “would give rise to an unreasonable invasion of the personal privacy of affected students.”