Rally outside Queen’s Park opposes education bill that could allow police in schools

Community advocates are urging MPPs and the public to reject Bill 33 and keep police out of classrooms.

Protesters gathered outside of Queen’s Park on Wednesday to oppose Bill 33, which, if passed, would include a requirement for school boards to permit police on school premises and partake in programs.

“Students, especially racialized, Indigenous and Black students, having police there creates more of an uncomfortable environment for them than create a safe environment for all students,” Ahnaaf Hassan told CTV News Toronto. Hassan is a Toronto District School Board (TDSB) trustee going into Grade 12.

The Doug Ford government is looking to amend the education act under Bill 33. If passed, this would give Ontario’s education minister more power to take control of the province’s school boards, particularly around matters of public interest and expenses.

On top of allowing police on school grounds and school programs, school boards would also have to grant officers permission to implement school resource officer programs, wherever such programs are available. This program works to improve safety, as well as boost perceptions of police and their relationship between students, according to the Toronto police website.

Having officers provide education in a supervised environment at school could work, Hassan said, as opposed to having them in a monitoring role.

“It creates a sense of authority watching over students, especially when you’re going to class-to-class it makes students feel nervous about being in school at that time,” Hassan said.

“We are demanding fund our schools, fund our communities,” Andrea Vasquez Jimenez with Policing-Free Schools said at the rally.

Former NDP MPP Jill Andrew told the rally there’s research demonstrating how policing programs can disproportionately increase suspensions and discipline of racialized students.

Instead of adding police, advocates are demanding more investment into smaller class sizes, boosting class infrastructure and supporting students with the educational needs.

“Our students need more child and youth workers. We need more education assistants, we need our teachers to be supported,” Andrew told the rally.

However, the Ministry of Education argues school resource officer programs can help “foster positive relationships between students and law enforcement, ultinately making our schools safer.”

“Over the coming months, we will continue to consult with police agencies, parent groups, and school boards across the province on how we can bring back school resource officers and youth engagement programs that will help support students and make our schools afer,” Emma Tesani, Education Minister Paul Calandra’s press secretary, said in a statement to CTV News Toronto.

The TDSB said staff wouldn’t be in a position to comment on legislation.

“Schools have existing relationships with police, including community officers, etcetera. That’s always been the case,” TDSB spokesperson Ryan Bird told CTV News Toronto.

Clayton Campbell, the president of the Toronto Police Association, the union representing officers, said officials who want to restart the school resource officer program should consult with all stakeholders, including students and teachers.

“They speak to everybody involved in this process, and really understand what the majority want to do, not necessarily a small group of individuals protesting at Queen’s Park today. So, the police provide a service and if this is a service the broader community wants, then I think we should provide it,” Campbell said in an interview with CP24.

He noted that officers enjoy doing the program and believes it could provide a great opportunity to build trust and relationships with youths in schools.

“Clearly, things aren’t working. We’ve seen youth violence up,” Campbell said. “Its tragic youth being victims of violent offence, being involved in violent offence. So, I think it’s important that this is a real opportunity for our officers.”

That’s why, he said, the program should be examined again and whatever officials decide to do should be evidence-based. While he understands some of the concerns from the community, Campbell said Toronto police have the most oversight.

“I think we all got to look at this as a whole in society to say something isn’t working when we’re seeing school violence, youth violence, higher in the city of Toronto and across Canada,” he said.

With files from Bryann Aguilar