Indigenous students overrepresented in Winnipeg School Division suspensions: report
A new report outlining the number of school suspensions in the Winnipeg School Division (WSD) has found that Indigenous students are suspended more often then other students.
The report, released Tuesday by the WSD found that 820 students across the entire school division were suspended between 2016 and 2019.
Betty Edel, chair of the WSD Board of Trustees, said the report shows there is an overrepresentation of Indigenous students among those who are suspended.
While less than 27 per cent of enrolled students self-identify as being Indigenous, the report found that they account for roughly 55 per cent of all school suspensions.
The report said the most common reasons for suspensions include weapons, physical or verbal assault on staff or students, and misconduct.
"We understand what's going on, now comes the action. You can't just say, 'Oh OK, well we know this is going on, that's good to know,' and then you walk away from it. No, this is the beginning," Edel told CTV News.
The school division said it is engaging with elders and community partners to restore relationships with the Indigenous students and address these suspensions.
Edel said it is a step towards reconciliation.
"This is just the very beginning," she said. "We just needed to get the truth on the table because you can only start the healing journey and move forward if you are dealing with the truth."
The report found that students who are suspended for a longer time have a higher likelihood of failing or withdrawing from school. Of the students who were suspended for up to five days, 51 per cent passed, 27 per cent withdrew and 22 per cent failed.
Of the students who were suspended between 20 and 30 days, only 22 per cent passed, while 41 per cent failed and 37 per cent withdrew, according to the report.
The report noted that suspensions over five days accounted for only three per cent of the suspensions, and those students who were given longer suspensions were often repeat offenders.
The school division said it will also enhance partnerships and collaborate with mental health community agencies to address the discrepancy in suspensions, as well as develop connections within the WSD between Newcomer and Indigenous Support Teams, Student Services and Curriculum, and professional development and training in restorative practices.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.