Child Safety

Supporting modern, dependable communication tools that ensure parents receive timely safe-arrival alerts, transportation updates, and emergency notifications. Effective systems help protect students and keep families informed during day-to-day activities and unexpected events.

Read more about The First Exclusion: When Communication Preferences Overrode Parental Rights

Incident Date

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 - 12:00

Pillar Category

Consistent Parent Communication

Modern Accessibility

Systemic Transparency

Child Safety

Internal Resolution Pathways

Following the June 10–11 incident involving Simon, Ashley received a phone call from school administration. I was not contacted, despite:

being a custodial parent,
being listed in the Student Information System,
having previously requested inclusion in all communication,
having disclosed communication‑related disabilities,
and having already raised concerns about exclusion.

The administrative decision to contact only Ashley was described as a “preference” rather than a policy requirement.

This indicates a systemic anomaly in the communication workflow:

The school’s communication protocol did not treat both custodial parents as equal recipients.
The Student Information System’s guardian‑contact fields were not used consistently.
The communication log established for Simon was not referenced.
The administrator’s personal communication preference superseded statutory and procedural obligations.
No accessibility‑aligned communication method was used, despite disability disclosure.

The system behaved as though one parent’s inclusion was optional, even after explicit requests for equal communication.

Because the school contacted only Ashley:

I was excluded from a discussion about my son’s wellbeing and safety.
Ashley felt pressured into a conversation she did not intend to have without me present.
The exclusion reinforced a pattern of communication gaps that had already begun two days earlier.
My disability‑related communication needs were disregarded, creating an accessibility barrier.
The school’s explanation — that exclusion was simply a “preference” — signaled that procedural consistency was not being followed.
This incident became the catalyst for my first formal human‑rights complaint, as the exclusion appeared to be based on gender and disability‑related communication differences.
The trust between our family and the school’s communication processes was further eroded.

This was the moment Ashley and I realized that communication exclusion was not accidental — it was systemic.

Education Act (Ontario)

s. 265(1)(m) — Duty to give “assiduous attention to the health and comfort of pupils.”
- Excluding a custodial parent from safety‑related communication undermines this duty.
s. 265(1)(j) — Duty to maintain proper order and discipline.
- Communication with all custodial parents is part of orderly school administration.

Ontario Human Rights Code

s. 1, s. 5 — Equal treatment in services, including education.
- Excluding a parent with disclosed disabilities may constitute adverse impact discrimination.
Disability and gender‑based adverse impact
- Communication exclusion can disproportionately affect disabled parents and fathers.

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)

Information & Communications Standard
- Requires accessible communication practices for individuals with disabilities.
- Failure to use email (the accessible method requested) created a barrier.

Board Communication Protocols

Require consistent communication with all custodial parents listed in the Student Information System.
Personal “preferences” cannot override documented parental communication requests.

Board Equity & Inclusion Policies

Require equitable treatment of all parents regardless of gender or disability.
Communication exclusion contradicts these principles.

Professional Standards (Ontario College of Teachers)

Ethical Standard of Care — Requires prioritizing student wellbeing through transparent communication.
Professional Practice — Requires adherence to board policies and consistent communication.
Professional Knowledge — Requires understanding and applying communication protocols correctly.

Read more about The First Communication Gap: Learning of a Safety Incident Through a Child Instead of the School

Incident Date

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 - 12:00

Pillar Category

Child Safety

Consistent Parent Communication

Systemic Transparency

Statutory Compliance

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.

Read more about 🛡️ Pillar 3: Child Safety Through Reliable Communication Systems

Pillar Theme

Parents must receive timely, accurate safety and attendance information — because safety isn’t optional; it’s a school board’s first duty.

Pillar Category

Child Safety

Governance Vision

Supporting modern, dependable communication tools that ensure parents receive timely safe-arrival alerts, transportation updates, and emergency notifications. Effective systems help protect students and keep families informed during day-to-day activities and unexpected events.

Lived Experience

Removal from SchoolMessenger prevented me from receiving attendance alerts, emergency notifications, and safety updates.
Email blocking interrupted safety‑critical communication between home and school.
My daughter was released to an unauthorized adult during an off‑site activity.
Safety incidents were communicated verbally or inconsistently, leaving no reliable written record.

Subscribe to Child Safety