Increase in violent events. Increase in weapons seized in schools. Increase in the number of teachers who are victims of violence.
The signs that things are brewing in our schools are multiplying. And far from being concentrated in Montreal, the problems affect the entire province.
We have no right to take the situation lightly. Young Quebecers must be able to evolve in a safe environment that promotes their academic, social and emotional development.
Last week, Liberal MP Marwah Rizqy released data obtained under the Access to Information Act.
The figures are incomplete, but truly worrying.
They show that in schools located on the territory of the Sûreté du Québec, the “situations of violence” having caught the attention of the police increased by more than 25% compared to the situation before the pandemic.
Seizures of firearms at school are notably on the rise. During the 2021-2022 school year, 28 rifles or shotguns were seized in the schools concerned, compared to 13 in 2018-2019.
And although the current year is far from over, seizures of handguns – pistols or revolvers – are already reaching a record (13 seizures).
The portrait is all the more surprising in that it excludes several large cities in Quebec that have their own police service, including Montreal, Quebec City and Laval.
For Montreal, assaults in primary and secondary schools are also on the rise (80 in 2022 compared to 45 in 2017), according to data obtained by Noovo.1
And the number of teachers and educators compensated for “injuries attributable to workplace violence” has almost tripled between 2012 and 2021, according to The Journal of Quebec.2
All the indicators are therefore on the rise. Quebec must encourage researchers to obtain a complete portrait of the situation and to identify the causes of this violence.
Then comes the question of the political response. The Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, has already promised a strategy to counter violence in schools, but without giving details. Liberal Marwah Rizqy is instead calling for a “order of initiative” that would allow MPs from all parties to question experts and stakeholders in the field.
Before reinventing the wheel, however, we must realize that we already have tools in our trunk. In 2012, Bill 56 reinforced the Education Act by obliging all schools to draw up a plan against bullying and violence.
However, according to François Bowen, professor at the University of Montreal and researcher associated with the Research Chair on well-being at school and the prevention of violence, the plans of some schools are much more effective than others. .
In the field, we would welcome the development of a “ministerial guide” that would disseminate best practices and allow schools to develop plans incorporating the most recent knowledge.
The issue of weapons requires special attention, especially since a vicious circle can set in when young people arm themselves to retaliate against other armed young people.
Here again, we are not starting from scratch. There is a frame of reference to mark out relations between the school community and the police community on which we can build.3
One thing is certain, we have a designated running back in this file with the National Student Ombudsman, who will begin his mandate at the next school year. The rise in school violence will force him to take his role… literally.