Dear Minister Singh,
Subject: Anti-Bullying Measures
At the British Columbia School Trustees Association’s 2024 annual general meeting, our members representing all 60 boards of education in B.C. passed the following resolution:
“That the BCSTA advocate to the Provincial Government and the Ministry of Education and Child Care to update their definition of bullying to recognize power imbalance in alignment with Public Safety Canada definitions and that the ERASE program be updated to align with this change.”
On behalf of the BCSTA’s membership, I want to express our appreciation for your ministry’s ongoing efforts to address bullying in schools. I also want to use this opportunity to further advocate for a critical update to the provincial definition of bullying as part of this work.
In May, we met with Assistant Deputy Minister Jennifer McCrea and her team members, during which we learned more about the upcoming refresh of the ERASE program. We were pleased to hear that the ministry is reviewing the content to make it more succinct and that there has been broad consultation with youth across the K-12 sector.
We are thankful for the opportunity to have shared our motion with your staff, and we look forward to seeing the updated content. Updating the ERASE program to reflect definitions of bullying will significantly enhance its effectiveness and relevance, and we trust your staff will consider the voice of boards of education as part of this work.
BCSTA is committed to supporting these efforts and is ready to collaborate with the ministry to ensure that our schools remain safe and inclusive environments for all students.
Thank you for your continued dedication to this important work.
Sincerely,
Carolyn Broady
President
British Columbia School Trustees Association
[Sent September 9]