Mr. Speaker, schools are more than books and buildings. Schools are places where students, teachers and staff spend much of their time. Schools are places where children should learn and grow and excel. Schools should be welcoming places. Regrettably, this is not so for some children. Taunting, teasing and bullying damages and can traumatize a child. Just a word can compliment, they can also hurt. I'm sure all Members will agree that this sort of damaging behaviour has no place in our schools.
I would like to speak on some actions that educators from across the Northwest Territories are working on to address this issue.
On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, over 100 educators, representing schools from each of the divisional education councils in the NWT, met in Yellowknife to work with Dr. Terry Scott, an internationally-renowned behaviour specialist, to learn about effective behavioral support.
Effective behavioural support is a school-wide system designed to prevent disruptive behaviour by all students, including those who exhibit chronic behaviour problems. EBS is being used in schools throughout Canada and the United States, and since 2001, in a number of schools in the Northwest Territories.
Under the EBS system, teachers provide students clear behavioural expectations, social skill instruction, acknowledgement and corrections. About 90 percent of students respond well to this program, others need additional help and support.
EBS schools have behavioural teams that work with teachers and parents to develop individual action plans for these at-risk students who have repeated behaviour problems. With the school and family working together, the behaviours taught at school can be reinforced at home, providing consistency for the children and support for the families.
Through the EBS system, all staff share responsibility for the behaviour of students in classrooms, as well as in common areas like hallways or the playground.
Mr. Speaker, this system is not a quick fix. It takes three to five years to develop and implement the systems and to see results, but I am pleased to announce, Mr. Speaker, that we are now seeing results.
One example is Mackenzie Mountain School in Norman Wells. Staff members report on the positive behaviours of students and celebrate them through their Gotcha Program. Student behaviour has improved and students feel more content and secure at school. Teachers are proactive and enthusiastic.
We want to build on the current success of EBS in our schools by providing out-of-school support for families and communities through programs like Second-Step Positive Discipline or Restitution, which are also being effectively used.
Schools that have been involved with EBS are in the South Slave, Sahtu and Dehcho divisional boards, Yellowknife Education District No. 1 and Yellowknife Catholic Schools. In addition to teams from these boards, we are pleased that the Dogrib and Beaufort-Delta divisional boards also participated in training this week.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased and proud to bring this positive news to the Assembly. Please join me in acknowledging the efforts of these school teams to make the schools in the Northwest Territories safer, happier, more productive and bully-free. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
----Applause