Bullying

Government anti-bullying activities will take over area classes for a week

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gleaner / March 13, 2025 / Bullying, Education, MRC Beauharnois-Salaberry, MRC des Jardins de Napierville, MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent, New Frontiers School Board, Sarah Rennie, School violence, The Gleaner

Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

The Quebec government is working to address the problem of bullying in schools. Education Minister Bernard Drainville has announced the first week of a plan to prevent violence and intimidation in schools will take place from March 17 to 21, in schools throughout the province.

As part of the Plan de Prévention de la Violence et de l’Intimidation à l’École (Plan to Prevent Violence and Intimidation in Schools), the week will include a series of activities aimed at students, staff, and parents. The theme for the week will focus on “Strengthening Respect and Good Citizenship in our Schools.”

“In all classes in Quebec, pupils will simultaneously put down their pencils and start a discussion with their teachers on how to prevent episodes of violence and intimidation that they have experienced (or are still experiencing) and to reinforce good citizenship and respect at school,” said Drainville, in a statement issued by the Ministère de l’Education.

The week will start with a province-wide moment of reflection and guided discussion following the broadcast of a video featuring Drainville, who will address students and staff in elementary cycle two and three classrooms as well as all secondary classes. Preschoolers and elementary cycle one students will also be expected to take part in the discussion, using a simplified activity adapted to their level.

Adult general education centres, vocational centres, and private educational institutions are also invited to participate in the initiative.

The government is providing a variety of activities for the remainder of the week as well, including classroom workshops, educational podcasts, and information sessions tailored to students in all grade levels, as well as parents and school staff.

“We have been assured that as many materials as possible will be available in English,” confirms the New Frontiers School Board’s assistant director general, Joyce Donohue. She says the NFSB reminded the education ministry that pedagogical materials needed to be provided in English for students and for parents as well.

Donohue says the board is expecting to receive the necessary information for the various activities at some point this week.

The Quebec government has also introduced a model plan for combatting violence and intimidation in schools. Use of the plan is expected to be mandatory in all schools for the start of the 2025-2026 school year.

“School is there for our children,” says Drainville, who notes that as a father and as minister of education, he is deeply concerned about the violence and intimidation suffered by Quebec students.

“Respect and good citizenship should not only be taught; they should also be experienced on a daily basis. This responsibility begins at home with the parents and continues at school,” he says, noting all those in the school community are invited to participate in this national week to root out bullying.

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NFSB consultations focus on solutions to school violence and intimidation

Local Journalism Initiative / The Gleaner / March 11, 2025 / Bullying, Education, MRC des Jardins de Napierville, MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent, Sarah Rennie, School violence, The Gleaner

Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

The New Frontiers School Board (NFSB) has been listening and learning more about the extent of bullying and violence within its schools and centres.

Nine members of the NFSB’s Task Force on the Prevention of Bullying and Violence were present at Chateauguay Valley Regional High School on February 27 for the second of two public consultations. A previous meeting took place at Howard S. Billings High School in Chateauguay earlier in the month.

The representatives for the task force, including school principals, school board administrators, special education technicians, teachers, caretakers, and the NFSB’s assistant director general, Joyce Donohue, gave a brief presentation before giving the floor to a small group of parents in attendance.

Questions about security and supervision were raised, with one parent suggesting that some children do not feel safe at school. “They should have a right to come to school and to feel safe and to graduate!” she exclaimed. “That is not where we are at,” she lamented.

“One thing that we want to do as a focus group is to protect everyone,” said one task force member. “As a school board and as a school, we have to find solutions,” they added.

Screens, exposure to social media, and peer pressure were also raised by those present as important topics to be addressed.

“At both consultations, we were able to have rich exchanges with members of our community, who generously provided their insights and feedback that we will be able to consider for our recommendations,” says Donohue, who is heading up the task force. She credits the expertise and passion exhibited by task force members for providing these opportunities to exchange with parents and the school community.

Following the public consultations, which have also included an interactive ThoughtExchange survey, the task force will prepare a report summarizing the various strategies, tools, measures, and resources brought forward to address the issue. The report is expected to be delivered by the end of this school year.

Along with those who attended the in-person consultations, there have been 122 participants in the ThoughtExchange survey. At least 114 thoughts were contributed, and these were rated at least 1,261 times. Key words have emerged from the process, including “communication,” “parents,” “resources,” and “safe.”

The public consultation in Ormstown was also attended by the chair of the NFSB council of commissioners, John Ryan, who says the fact this forum is in place represents a good step. “We wanted to get out there and do as much research and brainstorming for our own community, with our own realities, to see what we can come up with,” he explains. “It is extremely rich and rare to sit and talk about any one topic for that length of time. You never lose by doing that,” he adds.

Ryan also notes how rare it is for the public to hear what those being bullied are going through. “It’s a very personal thing, and people on the front lines hear a lot about it, because they are meeting people who come in and who talk with them; but we normally don’t get to hear this,” he says. “When you are exposed to these stories, your basic instinct or response is to say that we have to do something. We have to help.”

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