School should be a safe place.Competition Helps: Opinions

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Michael Zwargstra

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How much do you learn when you’re in danger? For most people, the answer is “not much.”

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This means that it is unlikely that much learning is currently taking place at the York Memorial University Institute. This Toronto high school has been hit with multiple violent incidents over the past few months. Violent assaults, drug dealing, almost daily fights and verbal harassment have become part of normal life for both students and staff. Things got worse to the point of refusing to go to work. The three expressed concern about being included in a “jump list” (a list of people targeted for attack) allegedly disseminated by students.

The York Memorial is a clear extreme example. But it’s not the only school where students and teachers feel unsafe. Saunders Secondary School in London, Ontario, also has a reputation for violence, with students regularly challenging their teachers to fistfights. Again, violence as extreme as this is rare, but students and teachers across Canada often feel unsafe on their way to school.

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why? Many school administrators have adopted lax disciplinary policies to keep the consequences of misconduct as light as possible. We want to reduce the number of suspensions and instead focus on “responsive, fair, and restorative practices.” As a result, misbehaving students receive little or no discipline.

The Director of Education for the Toronto District Board of Education takes a similarly short-sighted view. In her latest report, she pledged to take “intersecting perspectives aimed at eliminating disproportionate outcomes for students.” And the last one.

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To make matters worse, the Toronto school board recently ruled out reviving the defunct School Resource Officer program. This means there is no police at York Memorial (home of The Jump List) unless school administrators call the police and report a crime. school.

In some schools, the situation is clearly out of control thanks to school board policies. If school administrators are unable to make schools safe, parents and students will quickly look for other options. Unfortunately, for many Ontario parents, educational options are limited. Ontario is one of five states that still refuses to impose public funds (that is, taxpayer money) on students. If a student transfers from a public school to a private school, parents must pay full tuition fees in addition to paying regular school taxes.

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Effectively, these parents pay for their children’s education twice. One to the school district that failed her education, and another to the private school that took over her child’s education. Unsurprisingly, private schools in Ontario primarily range from middle to upper income households. need to change that. At a minimum, all states should make it easier for parents to enroll their children in schools that are safe and provide better education. All parents, not just wealthy parents, should be able to choose the right school for their child.

If Ontario injects more choice into the public school system and leaves money for children, administrators and trustees who are content with the status quo will eventually listen to parents’ concerns and ensure that the state’s public schools May instill more discipline and common sense in you. Heading for all the wrong reasons.

In the meantime, school boards should think more seriously about who to hire for key administrative positions. Too many school administrators advocate an awakened ideology that promotes a lax, disciplinary approach and a fragmented curriculum. Schools plagued by violence need to make a big shift. Keeping students and teachers safe at school is an absolute must.

Fraser Institute Senior Fellow Michael Zwaagstra teaches in public high schools.