Minister announces Safe and Caring Schools Initiatives

Education Minister Judy Foote today announced new Safe and Caring Schools Initiatives designed to encourage safe and caring learning environments in schools across Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Department of Education's new Safe and Caring Schools Initiatives are being implemented with the support of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers' Association, and school boards. The initiatives include a variety of programs which take a pro-active, preventative approach to violence prevention and are in keeping with the province's Violence Prevention Initiative.

"Providing students with a learning environment in which they feel comfortable and safe is very important to their success in school," said Minister Foote. "These Safe and Caring Schools Initiatives ensure that violence-prevention strategies are made available to all of our province's teachers and students."

One of the Safe and Caring Schools Initiatives is a professional development program entitled Cooperative Discipline. This nationally-recognized program provides teachers with a comprehensive grounding in the core values of respect and responsibility, as well as strategies for effective classroom management. The Department of Education has trained 15 educators in Cooperative Discipline, available province-wide as trainers for schools interested in implementing this program.

The Department of Education is currently collaborating with the other Atlantic provinces on another Safe and Caring Schools Initiative in the form of a teacher resource and inservice package. In addition to strategies for creating a positive school climate, this package will include crisis response plans for emergencies, and the development of individual behaviour plans and procedures for reaching at-risk students.

"The Safe and Caring Schools Initiatives are a series of evolving strategies based on ever-changing needs," said Minister Foote. "To ensure these initiatives are relevant to our students and our schools, the Department of Education is establishing a Safe and Caring Schools Provincial Advisory Group, which will include representation from educators, community agencies and the Department of Education. This group will be responsible for identifying violence-prevention needs, assessing initiatives undertaken by schools and proposing solutions when needed."

A Safe and Caring Schools web site is under development and will provide additional support to teachers, educators and students. 

Media contact: Gay Decker, Communications, (709) 729-0048.

2001 12 19                             2:05 p.m.