The local public school board may soon have its first human rights policy.
A motion directing staff to draft such a policy was approved by the Upper Grand District School Board on Tuesday.
Alicia Ralph, UGDSB’s human rights, equity and accessibility commissioner, is leading the way for the policy to be embedded in the school community.
The human rights policy will be the first of its kind in the board, she said.
Once the policy is finalized and in effect Ralph is looking forward to seeing students more engaged and aware of human rights. “I'm looking to be able to see parents engaged in supporting this work as well. And really building that community of human rights,” she said.
Part of the purpose of creating the policy is “to identify, address, and prevent all forms of discrimination, harassment, racism, bias, and oppression,” stated in a policy and procedures committee agenda.
It will also aim to provide clear procedures for reporting and dealing with human rights complaints in an effective and timely way.
The policy will also aim to support and fill in gaps of current policies within the board like; code of conduct, equity and inclusive education, First Nation, Métis, Inuit, self identification and education and others.
“So I think the gaps that this policy will help fill is the actual naming of human rights and the upholding of human rights throughout our board which I think has been absent in some of the language throughout the other policies, so it's really prioritizing and centering human rights,” said Ralph.
The policy is meant to support learning, accountability and transparency. Not only will it address human rights complaints but it’s also meant to be proactive in the school community by informing decisions and understand its needs, she said.
Ralph emphasized developing a policy is only one part of creating a culture of human rights. “There's work that needs to be done, to have individuals understand what their responsibilities are, and roles are in regards to upholding a culture of human rights,” she said. This would include staff, students, parents and guardians.
A consultation phase for the development of the policy will be rolled out. Once the policy is drafted it will be made available on the UGDSB website and people can provide feedback on it.
UGDSB’s human rights, equity and accessibility office was established in January. Staff from the office will be working to develop the policy. “And it really helps to leverage the knowledge of individuals who are working within the sphere of human rights, in equity and accessibility, to work together. Because as we know, the experiences of human rights is usually layered, and sometimes intersects with multiple identities of our students,” said Ralph.
"This inaugural human rights policy is a testament to our commitment to fostering an inclusive and equitable environment for all students and staff. We are dedicated to ensuring every voice is heard and valued, particularly those from underrepresented communities," said Peter Sovran, director of education, in a release.
Updates on the policy will be posted on the UGDSB website.