BC Ed Access is deeply appreciative of the announcement made by the Office of the Ombudsperson BC today.
This is hope.
A piece of the puzzle, that offers hope of awareness. The investigation is questioning whether the exclusions of students with disabilities were “fair”. With a public report to come.
Judith Heumann, the late disability activist has said “Change never happens at the pace we think it should. It happens over years of people joining together, strategizing, sharing and pulling all the levers they possibly can. Gradually, excruciating slowly, things start to happen, and then suddenly, seemingly out of the blue, something will tip.”
Families, it is time to get loud.
To be heard.
To share our stories and give Ombudsperson BC a peak into the education system that we are all exposed to. The reality that is specific to our lived experience. Often hidden in the shadows, it is our time to be heard beyond the community organizations on the front lines that are hearing our stories all the time.
Advocating to change systemic issues requires relentless focus from multiple teams of people.
It has required parents to make complaints. Filing external complaints is a form of advocacy. By advocating for our own children, we create awareness of systemic issues. If one person filed a complaint, it might not matter. But if 500 people complain, now we get someone’s attention.
As stated on the Ombudsperson website,
“Our office has received complaints from across the province about children, including those with disabilities, being excluded from school with little or no instruction,” said Chalke. “We will examine the extent to which K-12 students are being excluded from schools across the province and whether those exclusions are fair. We will assess the role of the Ministry of Education and Child Care and school districts in these exclusions.”
Each parent who filed an Ombudsperson complaint had no idea how many other parents were also filing for the exact same reason. But they did it anyway. This is evidence that your voice matters. That every complaint builds up over time.
And then…something tips…
Here is the news announcement
https://bcombudsperson.ca/news_release/ombudsperson-investigating-exclusion-of-students-from-bc-public-schools/
Here is the questionnaire – OPEN UNTIL APRIL 1st
https://bcombudsperson.ca/school-exclusion
Please share this far and wide.
You can also phone in or email if the questionnaire doesn’t work for you, and they are open to other options of receiving your information.
BC Ed Access will be making this announcement and questionnaire a permanent page on our website for as long as they are investigating and gathering information.
To the many parents who filed the Ombudsperson complaints, to make this happen… we thank you!
Media
https://thetyee.ca/News/2025/01/16/BC-Ombudsperson-Investigating-Exclusion-Kids-School/
BCEdAccess Society 