COPE Local 527, representing Education Support Staff with Hamilton Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB), are deeply concerned with the continuing and increase in violence against Educational Support Workers within the HWDSB.
Violence at school affects everyone. Students, families, and staff. Lack of provincial funding, critical staffing shortages, and limited access to mental health supports are all contributing to the crisis in our schools.
Educational Support staff work with some of the most vulnerable students, and are some of the most dedicated, compassionate, and caring staff within HWDSB. They go above and beyond daily to support students’ social, emotional, and academic needs, as well as provide personal care support to students who would be otherwise be unable to attend school.
Our schools are underfunded, and understaffed. Students with special needs are often without the 1:1 support they require, often receiving limited Educational Assistant support as a result. This is a safety concern for all students, for staff, and the accountability must fall to the HWDSB and the Ministry of Education to provide and allocate appropriate funding to support the needs of these most vulnerable students. Unions across this Province have been advocating for adequate funding, and staffing, to ensure the safety of both students and staff. The Ministry and the HWDSB are fully aware of the crisis within our classrooms. The increase in violence is not a reflection on staff but is a direct result of the understaffing within our school system.
Violence in schools affects everyone. Classrooms being evacuated, students sitting soiled in their own feces, staff unable to work due to injury, principals at their wits end, and a government who chooses to blame parents.
Of the 24 million dollars the Minister of Education provided to “help reduce the risk of violence in schools and promote the safety of students and educators”, only 4 million in funding was allocated to Educational Assistants — across the province!
These are not isolated incidents. Parents, grandparents, caregivers, do you really know what is happening at your child’s school? Are you being notified when your child witnesses or is impacted by a violent incident? Does your child feel safe at school? Is your child receiving the supports they require to learn?
Violence affects everyone. We will caution you, as you read on, that some of what you will see or read may be disturbing. We would like to warn you that the stories or visuals you see may be triggering.
