The London area's two major school boards are going to take a closer look at the role of police officers in schools.
The London District Catholic School Board has announced that it will join the Thames Valley District School Board in examining the role of School Resource Officers. These officers come to schools to talk to students about things like drug abuse, impaired driving, and the dangers associated with social media. But concerns have been raised about how some students feel about having police officers in their schools.
"We have heard concerns from the wider community that having SROs in schools can be a trauma trigger for some students," the LDCSB said in a statement.
In the wake of anti-racism demonstrations organized by Black Lives Matter London in June, the TVDSB decided to develop an anti-black racism/anti-racism strategy to guide its members and the student curriculum. That included a review of the use of School Resource Officers.
According to the board, the review will give it an opportunity to acquire a better understanding of how the presence of police officers in schools can "trigger anxieties among Black, Indigenous and persons of colour."
“This process will allow us to engage with the community and together find a path toward reconciling past systemic injustices,” said TVDSB Education Director Mark Fisher.
The review for both boards will be led by the Centre for Organizational Effectiveness over the course of the 2020-2021 school year. It will involve consultation with parents and students.
