The Globe and Mail
Educating Grayson: Are inclusive classrooms failing students?
“Who’s taking care of my child? We work. What about his education?”
A family challenged their seven-year-old son’s expulsion while other parents described shortened days and repeated pickup calls. The report examines the gap between promises of inclusion and the support needed for children to learn safely with their peers.
BCEdAccess survey findings about families leaving public education were cited.
News 1130
Parents group pushes for inclusion in schools for children with disabilities
“Exclusion is not an option that schools should be going to”
After BCEdAccess presentations, North Vancouver and Victoria began collecting information about students excluded from school. Tracking missed classes, trips and school events can help families and districts identify patterns and press for changes beyond an individual child’s case.
BCEdAccess presented family-reported exclusion findings to school districts and encouraged them to collect their own data.
CityNews Vancouver
After son with autism restrained, Maple Ridge mom to meet with school board
“This is happening to children all across B.C.”
A Maple Ridge mother secured a school-board appeal after reporting that her autistic son had been restrained and isolated. He had not returned to school, and she described obstacles to being heard, highlighting the importance of accessible complaint and appeal processes.
Burnaby Now
Burnaby school district not immune to exclusion incidents involving students with special needs
Burnaby schools were reported to have incidents of disabled students being excluded. The issue is whether children can participate in their school community and whether barriers are recognised and addressed locally.
Toronto Star
Parents reported 98 exclusion incidents near the start of the school year. Tracking these experiences draws attention to children missing opportunities to learn and participate when school should already be underway.
Global News
Special needs parents call for an end to exclusion
Parents called for an end to school exclusion, seeking access to learning and participation for their disabled children.
Toronto Star
Special-needs buses’ odd schedules may add to children’s isolation
Unusual school-bus schedules were reported to risk further isolating disabled children. For families, transport arrangements matter because they can shape how much of the school day and shared activities a child can access.
Agree or Disagree: The Podcast
The State of Public Schools and Sex Ed in Canada
This podcast brings parent and public-school advocacy perspectives to a discussion of education, sex education and diversity. It explores whose experiences schools recognise and what parents, teachers and students want from an inclusive education system.
The episode notes list Tracy Humphreys as a guest and link to BCEdAccess.
Vancouver Sun
Students are heading back to class, but is the B.C. school system ready for them?
As children prepared to return to class, this report questioned whether B.C.’s schools were ready. For families, readiness means more than an open building: it includes the staff, resources and arrangements children need from the first day.
Toronto Star
Parents warned that reports about classroom violence could stigmatise disabled children. The concern is how schools can address safety while recognising children’s needs and avoiding labels that make exclusion more likely.
Vancouver Sun
B.C. schools still struggling to find teachers, assistants demanded by 2016 court ruling
B.C. schools were still struggling to recruit teachers and assistants after the 2016 court ruling. For families, restored staffing commitments matter when they result in suitable people being available to support their children.
Peace Arch News
Parents fight for ‘systemic change’ in how Surrey students with autism are supported
Surrey parents sought changes to staffing arrangements so autistic children could keep education assistants who understood their needs. A parent’s account describes how losing a successful support relationship could undo progress, prompting a human rights complaint and a wider call for change.
News 1130
School year ends in frustration for parents of special needs students
“My son still has a right to be at school and to be educated.”
A Surrey parent described her son losing consistent education assistant support after a move and spending time out of school. The story shows how repeated staffing changes can disrupt relationships and learning, leaving a family waiting for a workable plan.
Times Colonist
Children with special needs struggle for education
This report describes barriers disabled children face in getting an education. For families, the concern is whether their children can count on the support and opportunities needed to take part in school.
CBC News
Students with special needs in B.C. still face seclusion, physical restraint in schools
The report describes disabled students still experiencing seclusion and physical restraint in B.C. schools. It raises concerns about children’s safety, dignity and the support needed to prevent harm.
Global News
In B.C., special needs kids are accessing school as little as 1.5 hours, 2 days a week
Families described shortened school days and unexpected pickup calls, leaving children without full access to learning and parents struggling to keep working.
National Observer
In BC, schools need to stop sending children like Joshua home
“It leaves families and their support networks depleted”
This column connects a young person’s death and gaps in mental-health care with the practice of sending children home from school. Families and advocates describe the toll on learning, employment and wellbeing, and call for coordinated support before children reach crisis.
Andrea Coutu was interviewed about exclusion and its effects on family finances and wellbeing.
CBC News
Frustrated parents of B.C. children with special needs get organized
B.C. parents of disabled children organised in response to concerns about education. Coming together can help families share experiences, identify recurring barriers and press for changes beyond an individual school meeting.
News 1130
Parents of special needs kids coming together in challenging times
“It can be months or years before a child can get an assessment.”
Parents gathered for an advocacy workshop while some children were still missing school because support was unavailable. Tracy Humphreys described assessment waits, confusing terminology and the need to know who can act at school and district level.
Tracy Humphreys was interviewed about families’ barriers and a parent advocacy workshop.
The Tyee
Some Special Needs Kids Still Waiting for School to Start
“There’s always a way to welcome the child or student into the school”
Some disabled children were still waiting to start school or attending shortened days after their classmates returned. Parents described disrupted routines and unexpected child-care costs, while districts said gradual entry could reflect individual plans. The article questions when a delay becomes exclusion.
Tracy Humphreys shared reports from families in the BC Parents of Special Needs Children advocacy group.
