Thank you to Kevin Ma for his March 13 followup to his March 6 School Notes article whereby the four school jurisdictions with schools within St. Albert advised that there would be no impact by a provincial ban on seclusion rooms.
Why should the truth in this matter to St. Albertans?
The reality is that students who are the children and grandchildren of residents attending schools in St. Albert are facing mental health challenges each and every day. Many of those mental health challenges are co-occurring conditions that accompany a disability, which in my child’s case, is neurodevelopmental.
All students and school staff deserve to be safe at school with access to current, effective evidence-based training and resources to develop the resilience needed to cope with the future demands of life beyond their school years.
We must consider the lessons students are learning about skill development including emotional regulation, problem solving and conflict resolution when harmful practices, like seclusion and restraint, are a reality in schools throughout the province, including in St. Albert.
Turning a blind eye does nothing to address the underlying causes of difficulties students and staff experience, but rather is doing everyone an injustice.
When we know better, we do better.
Progress comes with collaboration of all stakeholders and investment in alternatives that reflect changing times, not with smoke and mirrors.
Kristi Rouse, St. Albert
