BC’s Ombudsperson is launching an investigation into reports of kids with disabilities being excluded in public school.
The independent investigation will look at students with diverse needs from kindergarten to Grade 12, consider examples of exclusion directly reported by parents and students, and determine if exclusion was fair.
The office is defining exclusion as incidents where students may be:
- asked to stay home/go home
- asked to leave early/arrive late/have shortened school days
- asked not to attend field trips or other school activities
- unable to attend because of health/personal care support needs the school is unable to provide
- unable to attend because of learning support needs the school is unable to provide
- not learning with the rest of their class
- isolated by themselves in the school, secluded and/or restrained
The Ombudsperson will look at what role the Education and Child Care Ministry and school districts played in exclusion incidents.
There’s a confidential survey open for parents and students, it’s open until April 1.
