By Lindsey Parry
Centretown school officials say they’re already doing all they can to ensure their students are safe from dangerous offenders.
The response comes three weeks after two young girls, aged 9 and 10, claimed they had been sexually assaulted in the second-floor washroom at Centennial public school, by a middle-aged man.
It is believed that the man had walked into the school through its main doors — the only entrance that remains unlocked throughout the day.
Most local elementary schools keep all doors, except for the main entrance, locked during the school day. Notices are posted to remind all visitors, including school officials and volunteers, to sign in at the office, where they are given an identification badge. This rule also means that no parent, no matter how well known, can simply walk up to their child’s classroom without permission.
But even with all the safety procedures required of Ontario schools by the Ministry of Education, school officials say there is no guarantee that dangerous offenders will be kept outside.
“We’re doing whatever we can to ensure our children aren’t placed in any potential hazard or danger,” says principal Bob Griffiths, of McNabb Park public school. “But it’s just like if you put bars on your windows or you have an electronic safety system. There’s always a chance someone could come in.”
To further safeguard their students, most schools also now have a “buddy” system that pairs students to make trips to the washroom or classrooms.
Centennial school officials could not be reached for comment on whether or not they had a system like this in place at the time of the assault.
Elementary schools have also taken precautions for their students getting on and off buses. Teachers and volunteers often keep checklists to ensure everyone arrives at and leaves the school safely. Unless all names are checked off and all children are recorded as being present, the buses will not leave.
Dr. John Dorner, principal at St. Anthony school on Booth Street, says taking these precautions, teamed with a classroom safety education curriculum, increase the likelihood of safety.
“Every so often, we hear about an incident like what happened at Centennial,” he says. “Our response is to maintain our vigilance. There’s always the ability to enhance safety, but safety is something you can’t guarantee. By doing what we’re doing, we take a responsible approach. We all work very hard to ensure bad things won’t happen.”
Mars Bottiglia, commissioner of strategic planning and school operation with the Ottawa-Carleton Catholic Board, says the locking of school doors was put in place only about four years ago.
Today, somes schools are considering making photo identification tags a requirement for staff members.
But nothing new, adds Bottiglia, is being done in light of the Centennial incident.
“You have to realize that, short of putting a security guard at every door and window, if someone wants to get in, that person will get in. Basically, we’re doing all we can. We’ve sent memos to principals and asked them to review our safe schools policy with their staff and students.”
Paul Chislett, communications coordinator of the Ottawa-Carleton District Board, believes all schools are doing their best to keep dangerous offenders outside their schools.
“What our board’s doing is keeping with the same program because it does work,” he says. “Students know that if they see someone they don’t know, that they should yell ‘no,’ go, and tell someone they trust. Now we’re reiterating our policy to teachers, staff and parents.
“We do all we can . . . Unfortunately (the Centennial assault) is one incident, and the schools are taking measures to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”
Bill Filleter, co-chair of the Elgin Street Public school council, agrees with school officials.
“We have a pretty tight ship here at Elgin, and so do they at Centennial,” he says. “That’s why I’m so surprised this happened. But we’re all vulnerable, and that’s obviously been proven with this last little incident.”
Filleter says schools can only take so much responsibility.
“The police and schools don’t have the capacity to keep a constant eye on them. Centretown schools all have a policy and teach the children what to do if anything happens.
“It’s up to us parents to do as much as we can to prepare our children. Schools are doing their best. Now it’s our turn.”