Vancouver School Board passes motions to combat racism and discrimination

After multiple meetings and exhaustive debate, the Vancouver School Board has passed several motions that aim to combat racism and discrimination within school walls.

The most important motion passed by trustees aims to create a framework, including “a strategic plan with actions to address racism and discrimination.”

From matters arising: trustees pass a motion to create a strategic plan with actions to address racism and discrimination. Trustees comment includes supports and requests to involve students of colour and other civic liaison committees.

— SD 39 Vancouver (@VSB39) December 17, 2019

The plan will include an outline of short, medium, and long-term goals that fall under a one, three, and five-year range. The process will also include input from students of colour and individuals outside of the school.

Two subsequent motions were also passed. The first discussed how “acts of discriminatory student conduct can be improved,” particularly considering the personal impacts on students and the idea of using restorative justice.

Motion passes!

— SD 39 Vancouver (@VSB39) December 17, 2019

The second subsequent motion was a policy manual that defined the school district’s stance on non-discrimination.

Motion passes.

— SD 39 Vancouver (@VSB39) December 17, 2019

It also lists a number of commitments, such as providing adequate support to multicultural and anti-racist procedures and eliminating any form of racism and discrimination, to name a few.

• See also: 
  • VSB to draft policy against hate crimes, discrimination following racist video
  • Human rights complaint filed over handling of Lord Byng student’s racist video
  • BC teacher suspended after telling his elementary school class they “suck”

Much of the school board’s discussion about creating anti-racism and anti-discrimination policies stems from a racist video that was made by a Lord Byng Secondary School student in 2018.

The video has since been taken down but reportedly showed a white student uttering slurs against Black people and stating his desire to line them up and throw an explosive at them.

During a Policy and Governance Committee meeting that took place in early December, a number of parents and students spoke personally of the struggles and hardships that they dealt with as a result of the video.