Commentary
Many parents and teachers are worried about violence in British Columbia schools. Unfortunately, the province does not keep a public registry of violent incidents in schools, so it’s impossible to know exactly how many violent incidents take place each year.
However, not only is there increasing anecdotal evidence of violence in schools, but gangs are targeting schools for recruitment. Several years ago, administrators in the Greater Victoria School District (GVSD) even sent a letter to parents warning that gangs were actively recruiting high school students in their area.
When violent incidents go unchecked and gangs gain a foothold, academic learning grinds to a halt. No student should be expected to learn, and no teacher should be expected to work, in an unsafe school….