Western premiers plan work on anti-bullying strategies for schools, communities

Premier Eva Aariak, first at left, at the June 17 western premiers’ meeting in Winnipeg. (HANDOUT PHOTO)

When the western premiers met today in Winnipeg, they talked about jobs, infrastructure and affordable housing — but they also honed in on a social issue: bullying.

Speaking on behalf of the premiers, host premier Greg Selinger of Manitoba said the premiers want more bullying prevention programs and national guidelines on how to deal with bullying “to create a culture of safety in our schools and communities.”

That’s a move that Nunavut backs, said Premier Eva Aariak, who is also Nunavut’s education minister.

“Bullying in Nunavut is an important subject, and we take it as a department very seriously,” said Aariak, speaking at the premiers’ June 17 news teleconference. “We have a number of initiatives we have started within the schools and we are working with teachers and parents on how we will more effectively deal with bullying in schools.”

Aariak said it’s important to make sure students feel safe and are comfortable reporting what’s happening to them.

She said there’s a need to find innovative ways and to hear new best practices on how that can happen.

Among the ideas flowing from the premiers: an anonymous, online reporting site for bullying, which has been developed in B.C, where youth who are being bullied can report the incidents, by providing the time, place and names of those involved.

This can allow professionals to connect with a school to deal with both the victim and bully, said B.C. Premier Christy Clark.

And from Manitoba came an idea to promote diversity and acceptance in schools, by supporting Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and queer alliance groups — a move that Cambridge Bay’s Kiilinik High School supported earlier this year with its Rainbow Day.

But bullying is not just a school problem, Aariak added.

“It happens in the office, it happens in the home and it happens in the communities.”

The premiers planned to discuss bullying again at the Council of the Federation meeting in July in Ontario. The Council of the Federation comprises all provincial and territorial premiers.

Nunavut will host the 2014 conference of western premiers.