Rocky View Schools (RVS) will “build future procedures” in response to guidelines released by Alberta Education Jan. 13 meant to formalize and protect LGBTQ student rights in the province.
“What the guidelines are going to ask us is, what procedures can we have in place to support students so that all students are feeling like they are welcomed and accommodated,” said RVS Superintendent of Schools Don Hoium.
“We’ll be looking at what other additional details and supports (we can implement).”
Since 1998, a policy called Respectful Working and Learning Environments has been in place at RVS, having been amended in 2002 and 2014. In that policy, RVS ensures protection from harassment on grounds of “sexual orientation, including LGBTQ.”
Hoium said RVS would examine the new guidelines released by Alberta Education and compare them to its existing policy.
“We do have that policy. That policy does cover all aspects of addressing all of the various interest groups related to human rights,” he said.
“All of the gender, physical, marital status and sexual orientation (protections), we already have that.”
The 21-page Alberta Education document includes a variety of policies designed to “support and protect students,” no matter their sexual orientation, gender expression or gender identity.
A list of best practices in the document include ensuring students can self-identify, dress codes respect gender identity and expression, minimizing gender-segregated activities and providing individualized supports.
“School authorities asked for these guidelines as they work to develop their policies and approaches to creating welcoming, caring and safe schools for all students,” Alberta Education Minister David Eggen said in an email to the Airdrie City View.
“This is all part of an ongoing dialogue. This is how we build a greater understanding and acceptance for all.”
Part of the document calls for schools to have at least one single-stall washroom and students must be able to access washrooms that are “congruent with their gender identity.”
“Those are details that we’ll need to look at,” Hoium said.
“We need to accommodate students by supporting their desire to have a gender-free washroom area. We have to look at the guidelines.”
The guidelines also state students have the right to self-identify their gender and be addressed by the name and pronoun of their choice, something Hoium said RVS would also “take a look at in terms of building a future procedure.”
Eggen previously instructed school boards to develop LGBTQ policy in November 2015. Alberta school boards must share mandatory policies by March 31.
