parents have been asking for an education ombudsman for at least the past 20 years.

A government confident of its policies and the delivery of them will pony up and grant the request of so many.

A government fearful of what flaws in its policies and delivery will continue to ignore the requests and continue to pull the wool over the eyes of the province re: parent satisfaction of the public system.

Now, which party can we count on to actually listen to what parents want?

I am glad to see, there is concern about the lack of accountability and enforcement of regulations in Ontario’s public education system. Of course, this lack of accountability and enforcement is right across Canada. I sure would like to see a full blown inquiry in each province, especially on the issues of bullying,

As the article stated, “There may be wide spread abuses of not just legislation and law by the school boards, but questions should also be raised with respect to the use and allocation of public money in our school system, and whether that money is going towards the concerns of local constituents, since Trustee’s in the school system cannot advocate properly within the boards. These are just some of the issues why the Ombudsman of Ontario has come out very strongly in recent months asking our politicians to extend his mandate to investigate further. All Ontario political parties have refused to comment on this idea from not just the Ombudsman himself, but many parent groups as well. Minister of Education Leona Dombrowsky was also unavailable for further comment.”

The Ombudsman of Ontario, is like other provincial offices, that carries the same type of stats on complaints. Like in other provinces, The Ontario Ombudsman has the same nature of complaints.
In the 2008 to 2009:
1. Wrong or unreasonable interpretation of criteria, standards, guidelines, regulations, laws, information or evidence.
2. Failure of government organization to adhere to own processes, guidelines or policies, or to apply them in a consistence matter.
3. Failure to adequately, appropriately communicate with a client.
4.Adverse impact or discriminatory consequence of a decision or policy on an individual or a group.

There is six more, and the link is http://www.ombudsman.on.ca/en/what-we-do/stats—facts.aspx

If the Ombudsman was allowed to investigate bullying, he be entering the world of education, where the above four would be highlighted over and over again. A government can create all the safe schools acts, but they are no good, if no one is enforcing them or abiding by them. Ditto for the other education acts, governing students. Accountability just does not exist unless one has a deep pocketbook to go the legal route.

Way back when I first got involved in education issues, my very first deputation was made before an Ontario legislative committee looking at changing the Audit Act to allow the Provincial Auditor to perform value for money audits of school boards.  That was on June 6,1996.  Who was the chair of that committee?
None other than our current Premier.

While I was a bit of a novice then, what I said still stands today.

The time is long overdue when we had an ombudsman for education issues.

I seem to recall a proposal by Liberal MPP Ted McMeekin a few years ago to create a position of “Children’s Advocate” or some similar title; the function of this person would be to represent children’s interests and advocate for their needs in the education system.

I guess nothing came of it.  I thought it was a good idea, though.

I agree it is a real problem. I’m just not sure I have heard a viable solution yet.

There is a child’s advocate office in Ontario. Here is the link, for Ontario as well as 8 other provinces.

http://provincialadvocate.on.ca/main/en/ccpcya/

Except for the NL child advocate’s office, the mandate is mainly for children who are under some type of care by the government. Even here, education issues are not address as they should. In NL, it is different, because it includes all children under the age of 16. Parents in NL, can go there to address issues in education, health and social services.

“What is the definition of “child” and “youth”?

Under the Child and Youth Advocate Act, a “child” is defined as a person under the age of 16 years.

A “youth” is defined as a person who is 16 years of age, but under 19 years of age. This includes:
•a youth in care or custody under the Child, Youth and Family Services Act;
•a youth on remand under the Criminal Code or the Young Offenders Act (Canada);
•a youth subject to a sentence under the Criminal Code;
•or a youth subject to a disposition under the Young Offenders Act (Canada), who is under 21 years of age.”
http://www.childandyouthadvocate.nl.ca/faqs.html

I did it once, and filed a complaint with the Child Advocate’s office. I had to pull it, because it was impacting my child at the school negatively. There was not too many happy campers at the school and the board level, having the child’s advocate snooping around and requesting my child’s school file. However, once I pulled it, I did get some badly needed attention by the board, who was actually making the decisions for my child, and not the school.

The trouble with the child advocate’s office, is that the advocate has only the power, to recommend changes, but not enforce them.

“While legislation that is up for interpretation by the courts has been recently implemented by the Government to try and tackle some of the problems facing our school system, the real issue here is how will this legislation be enforced currently and in the future, ...”

In this sentence in the last paragraph of the article, the writer has pointed out the exact nature of the problem.  As teachers, we are required by the new law not to simply report verbally, but in writing ANY incident involving racism, bullying, violence or the threat of violence.  This report is to go directly to the principal to be acted upon.

One week after we were trained in this new law, I overheard one student say she was going to ‘kill’ another student.  This was my first test of the new system.  I spoke to student (as required).  I filled out paperwork (as required).  I gave the report to the principal (as required).  What was the response?

1)  Principal told me to give it to the VP (wrong answer)
2)  VP ‘read’ it and proceeded to tell me that it would go nowhere.  Why?  Student has an IEP.  Student probably doesn’t understand what she was saying.  He also then told me that he had spent the entire lunch hour keeping the two students in question apart because they were trying to fight each other (funny, makes me think she knew exactly what she was saying).  Paper was filed in the garbage can - no return report as required.

Only my word as proof of warning - the new law requires that teachers make NO COPIES of the report.  Makes it easier to deny any report was ever made.

Another quick example:  about the same time a teacher was hit in the face by a student.  Student charged? No.  Report acted upon?  No.  Why?  Student has IEP - anger management problems.  The TEACHER was reprimanded - he should have known better.

as long as there continues to be weak links in the chain Wayne nothing will change.

The system seems to breed cultures of broken links.

I have been told just recently that the incidents do not get reported because of the paper work and the future impact of the student in later years. I received this information, when talking to the principal of a student, who has bullied my child since grade 1. The two latest incidents with the bully, had to deal with two threats to my child’s life, and the police were involved. Even here I had to pick up the phone, to informed them of my take because the victim’s parents are not involve, since it was a threat. It was a good thing that I did phone, because I think it moved the school to start the paper work, informed the board and he was suspended for two weeks. I also was told, that every incident will be recorded from now on, to build the case at the school level, for longer suspensions. He has been back for two days, and manage to have two incidents with teachers. I just hope the school is doing the paper work., because it be sometime next year, where he be threatening students once again. Oh yes, I almost forgot, the bully is being very polite to my child, and his parents are being sweet as pie and very friendly toward myself and my child.

It is truly sad that after Harris’ “Safe Schools Act”  and McGuinty’s latest law, that incidents like Nancy’s are still occurring - with regularity.  I’m not so sure about the weak links, though.  From what I have seen, it is more like inertia from the top on down, and that includes the Ministry.  The further removed from the classroom the administrator is, the rosier their view of the world.  They don’t see the ugliness in our classrooms and playgrounds, so they don’t see it as a big problem.

Harris’ law gave teachers the right to suspend students - we were told by OSSTF to NEVER use it - teachers teach, principals enforce regulations - we were not to cross that line.  That scuppered that idea before it ever got off the ground.  This time, however, I think it is the boards.  Principals don’t do what they do without marching orders from head office.  This problem seems to be too widespread and too consistent to be one or two weak links.

What is driving the boards’ thinking?  One can only guess.  Shrinking budgets, declining enrollment, increased responsibilities (ELP, for example) and provincial bargaining have all put a squeeze on school boards.  The majority of their budgets are given through per pupil grants - expelled students do not count.  Is it something as mundane as money?  I don’t know, but I have seen a raft of principals and vp’s ebb and flow through my school the last few years, and the only thing they have in common is their complete lack of will to deal with problem students.

As for parents out there, the only advice I can give is try to work with the school initially.  If you seem to get nowhere, get the police involved - don’t wait for the situation to spiral out of control.