The First Communication Gap: Learning of a Safety Incident Through a Child Instead of the School
A safety‑related incident occurred during recess involving my son, Simon. Neither Ashley nor I received any notification from the school through any official communication channel.
No email. No phone call. No end‑of‑day report. No entry in the communication log that had been established for Simon’s medical needs.
Instead, the only reason we learned of the incident was because our daughter, Lilli, overheard other students discussing it and told us at home.
This indicates that:
- The supervisory staff did not initiate the required incident‑reporting workflow.
- The administrative office did not receive or process any incident documentation.
- The communication log previously established for Simon was not used.
- Although both Ashley and I were listed in the Student Information System, neither of us were contacted.
The system behaved as though no guardian needed to be informed, despite the incident involving bodily functions and potential medical relevance.
Because the school did not communicate the incident:
- Ashley and I were unable to determine whether the event was behavioural, medical, or neurological.
- Simon’s existing medical condition (optic nerve underdevelopment) could not be evaluated in context.
- Our family physician later declined to investigate behavioural escalation because no school‑based documentation existed.
- We were left without the information needed to support Simon emotionally after the incident.
- We began questioning whether other incidents had also gone unreported.
- This became the first moment where Ashley and I realized that critical safety information could fail to reach us entirely.
This communication gap created a foundational trust issue that would repeat and escalate throughout the following school years.
Education Act (Ontario)
- s. 265(1)(m) — Duty to give “assiduous attention to the health and comfort of pupils.”
- s. 265(1)(j) — Duty to maintain proper order and discipline.
- Failure to communicate a health‑related incident undermines both duties.
Ontario Safe Schools Policy Framework
- Requires timely communication with parents regarding incidents affecting student safety or wellbeing.
Board Safe‑Arrival / Safe‑Dismissal Policies
- Require staff to ensure parents are informed when incidents occur that may affect a child’s health or safety.
Board Communication Protocols
- Mandate consistent communication with all custodial parents listed in the Student Information System.
- The communication log established for Simon was not used.
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)
- Information & Communications Standard requires accessible, consistent communication practices.
- Failure to communicate with me, after disclosing communication‑related disabilities, may constitute an accessibility barrier.
Ontario Human Rights Code
- s. 1, s. 5 — Equal treatment in services, including education.
- Communication exclusion can create adverse impact for a parent with disabilities.