Despite recent calls from the Alberta Liberal education critic Kent Hehr for the government to mandate accommodation for gay-straight alliances in the province's schools, Chinook's Edge School Division (CESD) officials say there is no need for such a move here.
Wanda Christensen, associate superintendent of student services for CESD, said that the division is already taking measures to ensure that a culture of acceptance and tolerance takes hold.
“We don't need a mandate. We're moving forward with our plans and are pretty proud of what we've been able to accomplish so far,” said Christensen.
In the last two years, CESD officials, staff and parents have been developing the Safe and Caring School procedures, and one aspect of that has been to ensure inclusion and tolerance, she said.
The movement is important, and the facts are compelling that such groups create connections between students, she noted, adding that race, culture and other factors are also included in the initiative, not just sexual orientation.
“(The initiative) addresses and ensures that all our schools have all the support and resources they need. Should there be a need for a gay-straight alliance or a group of students who want to ensure there's tolerance, inclusiveness and a sense of belonging for all students, certainly our schools would have the ability to support a group such as that.
“We evolved, adapted and changed it to ensure that it reflected some pretty strong guidelines around discrimination and tolerance for differences, ensuring that our students, staff and communities have that support, and to ensure that that's addressed and communicated very clearly with our school communities.”
The Rainbow Club in Olds High School is one example of such a group, which is part of the student union and helps to address and recognize diversity and tolerance within the student body, she noted.
“As far as calling them gay-straight alliances, that's probably a term that would be more applicable to the larger urban schools. Our schools have all the information about gay-straight alliance groups and all the information to support that, should they want to put it in place,” she said.
“I think what we do is we really enforce and ensure that that safety and inclusive environment and the community that promotes respect and care for each other's differences is well-promoted and alive and well in our schools.”
CESD schools still have work to do, but because of the changing culture and attitudes concerning sexual orientation, she noted that most – if not all schools – have room for improvement.
“So we don't need a mandate from the government, we have an admin procedure, we have administrators and leaders that lead the way in this regard – and our staff as well.
“I have to say, our rural Alberta schools in so many respects are very tolerant and respectful of differences, even more so than urban centres, but that's just my experience. So I'm very proud to promote and speak about what we're doing in Chinook's Edge.”
Kent Hehr has asserted that Premier Jim Prentice should let his position be known regarding a government mandate for schools to accommodate student requests to form gay-straight alliances, according to an Alberta Liberal press release.
“The premier and his new (education) minister should be well aware that this is an issue of great concern to many people,” said Hehr.
“As Premier Prentice tries to establish credibility on his promise to manage things differently, and Minister Dirks attempts to establish his own credibility amid controversy, this is one meaningful way they can demonstrate their sincerity,” he added.
Alberta Liberals attempted to pass a motion on the issue in the legislature last April, with the motion being defeated after 23 PC MLAs – including seven members of Prentice's new cabinet – voted against the motion with Wildrose Party MLAs.
“It is not an issue that is just going to go away because the PCs don't want to talk about it,” said Hehr, noting that such student clubs have been proven to reduce bullying against – and suicide attempts among – students of various sexual orientations.
Hehr called for the PC government to make its views known regarding gay-straight alliances.
Meanwhile, the NDP came out in support of gay-straight alliances last week, with NDP MLA and leadership candidate Rachel Notley calling on the PCs and Wildrose to “support concrete measures aimed at reducing bullying and making LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer) students feel safer in Alberta schools.”
“Alberta is a modern and diverse province,” said Notley. “The PC and Wildrose opposition to simple measures that would help support LGBTQ students shows just how out of step they are with Albertans”.
The NDP is calling for two measures it says would support LGBTQ students in Alberta:
• Introduce legislation allowing 'gay-straight alliance clubs' at all schools where students request them.
• Amend the Human Rights Code to reverse changes made by the PCs in 2010, which makes teachers who discuss sexuality and sexual orientation in the classroom the potential subjects of human rights complaints.
“A clear majority of Albertans are accepting and supportive of LGBTQ people, both in our society and in our schools. It's time they had a government that demonstrates those same values,” she said.
"We're moving forward with our plans and are pretty proud of what we've been able to accomplish so far"Wanda ChristensenAssociate superintendent
