Why are we doing this work in Prairie Spirit?
· My Prairie Spirit Classroom is diverse in world view, culture, language, gender identity, ability and interests and this is how we learn together.
· The rights of 2SLGBTQ+ students and employees are protected under the Canadian Charter, Canadian Human Rights Act, Criminal Code of Canada, Saskatchewan Human Rights Code, The Education Act, and Saskatchewan High School Athletics Association (SHSAA) bylaws.
· Prairie Spirit is committed to providing inclusive, welcoming, caring, respectful and safe environments that promote the well-being of all. PSSD recognizes that it is a shared responsibility of all members of our community to foster a learning and working environment that promotes every person’s dignity and rights.
· Safe schools are free of discrimination, hate speech, physical abuse and other types of harassment based on actual or perceived assumptions around sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
· Prairie Spirit is proud to be aligning our work with the direction established by the Ministry of Education in the document Deepening the Discussion (2015).
· The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation expects all teachers to develop teaching practices recognizing and supporting diversity within the classroom, the school and community.
· We know that some students are feeling unsafe or unwelcomed in school. Research shows that:
· LGBTQ youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide.
· A national survey of Canadian high school students found that 64% of LGBTQ2+ students reported feeling unsafe at school.
· Prairie Spirit’s Your Voice Matters survey (2022) reported that:
o 25% of students did not feel that all students are able to be open about who they are without fear of unwanted consequences.
o 49% of students reported witnessing or overhearing targeted comments towards students that were harmful, based on their gender or sexual identity.
o 20% of students could not identify an adult who cares about them personally and who they could talk to.