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Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Provincial code of conduct in schools protects students from gender, sexual orientation disclosure
As other provinces police LGBTTQ+ pronouns in schools, Manitoba is doubling down on its support for students to explore their identities on their own timeline. The Education Department released a new provincial code of conduct for kindergarten-to-Grade 12 schools on June 11. The 38-page document provides guidance on how to navigate student behaviour issues and communicate with caregivers when necessary. JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS FILES High school teacher Kay Wojnarski, pictured at a rally in support of transgender programming in 2023, says she is impressed and relieved to see protections for queer and transgender students in the new provincial code of conduct for kindergarten-to-Grade 12 schools students. It states that, when a principal believes a student has been harmed by a peer's behaviour, they must — 'as soon as reasonably possible' — notify the families of all those involved. 'Some students who are part of the (LGBTTQ+) community may not have disclosed or shared their identity beyond the school community,' it adds. 'Discretion must be exercised to protect students from harm in disclosing gender identity or sexual orientation.' High school teacher Kay Wojnarski said she was impressed and relieved to see that explicit reference to protections for queer and transgender students. Wojnarski called it 'unethical, conceited and irreversibly damaging' to disclose a student's sexuality or gender identity without their consent. 'A student who is betrayed by adults meant to protect them will not feel safe or cared for in their learning environment,' said the teacher who runs a gender-sexuality alliance at her school in Winnipeg. She noted that students need to be treated as human beings with agency and dignity 'rather than as property.' The use of pronouns other than the ones students were assigned at birth has fuelled the 'parental rights movement' and caught the attention of lawmakers across the country. New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and Alberta have introduced legislation in recent years requiring that schools obtain parental consent before addressing an underage student by their chosen name and gender identity-related pronouns. New Brunswick has loosened its rules so students under 16 now only need approval to change a name on report cards and other official school records. Teachers in Saskatchewan and Alberta continue to notify families if a student aged 16 or younger wants to be addressed differently during the school day. Manitoba Education Minister Tracy Schmidt called K-12 student families 'our No.1 partner,' but she said her department also recognizes teacher expertise. 'We believe in educators as professionals.… Every day, we trust them to make choices that have student safety as their top priority,' Schmidt told the Free Press. The code of conduct indicates that parents and caregivers should be alerted about the general nature and impact of bullying and other inappropriate behaviour involving students. While noting that principals have obligations to protect personal information, it says they are required to disclose 'more information beyond the fact that (disciplinary) measures have been taken.' Wednesdays Sent weekly from the heart of Turtle Island, an exploration of Indigenous voices, perspectives and experiences. The household of a child who has been targeted is supposed to be told if an intervention plan is being developed, a suspension is being issued or privileges were removed. Principals have been given seven months to align local rules with the Provincial Code of Conduct: Behaviour Intervention and Response Using a Student-Centred and Strengths-Based Approach. Lillian Klausen, president of the Manitoba Teachers' Society, said a reporter was the first to bring the document to her attention and she had yet to review it in full. 'Naturally, we're in favour of anything that protects our students,' she said in a statement. 'We're looking forward to a full consultation with government before the code goes into effect.' Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Associated Press
10 hours ago
- Business
- Associated Press
What's happening with forgiveness for student loans on income-based repayment plans?
NEW YORK (AP) — Amid a federal overhaul of student loan plans, many borrowers have been left wondering what it means for their hopes of loan forgiveness. In particular, those who are enrolled in a repayment plan known as income-based repayment, or IBR, have wondered if forgiveness will still be available to them. A recent update from the Education Department said forgiveness through the IBR plan is paused while systems are updated. 'IBR forgiveness will resume once those updates are completed,' the agency said. IBR is not affected by a federal court's injunction blocking former President Joe Biden's Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan. The IBR plan was created by Congress separately from other existing repayment plans, including those known as PAYE and ICR. It's also exempt from some changes coming from President Donald Trump's tax and spending bill. Here's what to know. Which income-driven repayment plans are affected by the court's injunction? Following a court injunction last summer, loan forgiveness for the SAVE, Income-Contingent Repayment, or ICR, and Pay As You Earn, or PAYE, plans is currently paused because those plans were not created by Congress. The legal action called into question whether student loan forgiveness was authorized under the federal statute that governs those plans. The IBR plan was created under a different authority. IBR, created by Congress, reduces monthly payments for borrowers with lower incomes. It also invokes a statute that authorizes student loan forgiveness of the balance at the end of a 20- or 25-year repayment term. When will IBR forgiveness resume? The Education Department hasn't given a timeline for when its system update will be complete and forgiveness will resume. Should a borrower continue to make IBR payments in the interim? Borrowers enrolled in IBR who have reached the threshold for forgiveness but who are not seeing their loans discharged as a result of the pause may continue to make payments with the expectation that the Education Department will refund the excess payments. The plan offers forgiveness after 240 or 300 monthly payments, depending on when borrowers enrolled. Borrowers can also request forbearance from their loan servicer. In that case, interest would continue to accrue on any remaining balance. What changes are coming from Trump's 'big beautiful bill'? Trump's tax and spending law will eventually phase out the ICR, PAYE and SAVE plans, replacing them with the Repayment Assistance Plan. IBR plans will continue to exist and to provide forgiveness after 20 or 25 years. RAP, in contrast, will require 30 years of repayment before forgiveness is granted. ___ The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.
The Hill
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Hill
Education Department pauses student loan forgiveness under IBR plan
The Education Department has paused student loan forgiveness under the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan without a clear timeline of when it might resume. The department argues any IBR forbearances were impacted by ongoing court action. 'The Department has temporarily paused discharges for IBR borrowers in order to comply with ongoing court injunctions regarding the Biden Administration's illegal attempts at student loan forgiveness. The Department's SAVE rule provided the authority to count forbearances in IBR toward loan forgiveness, but that rule has been enjoined,' said Ellen Keast, deputy press secretary for the department. 'Legal IBR discharges will resume as soon as the Department is able to establish the correct payment count. For any borrower that makes a payment after the date of borrower eligibility, the Department will refund overpayments when the discharges resume,' she added. The Department of Education is working through a court's injunction after the Biden administration's Saving on Valuable Education (SAVE) plan was ruled illegal. The agency argues that while the case did not impact forgiveness under IBR, what type of forbearances would count for loan discharges were. IBR allows individuals to make payments based on income and family size, receiving forgiveness after 20 to 25 years of consecutive payments. The department has encouraged individuals to join this plan as it shuts down the SAVE option. Those on SAVE will see interest accrual restart at the beginning of August and be kicked off the plan entirely in the following year.
The Independent
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
What's happening with forgiveness for student loans on income-based repayment plans?
Amid a federal overhaul of student loan plans, many borrowers have been left wondering what it means for their hopes of loan forgiveness. In particular, those who are enrolled in a repayment plan known as income-based repayment, or IBR, have wondered if forgiveness will still be available to them. A recent update from the Education Department said forgiveness through the IBR plan is paused while systems are updated. 'IBR forgiveness will resume once those updates are completed,' the agency said. IBR is not affected by a federal court's injunction blocking former President Joe Biden 's Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan. The IBR plan was created by Congress separately from other existing repayment plans, including those known as PAYE and ICR. It's also exempt from some changes coming from President Donald Trump 's tax and spending bill. Here's what to know. Which income-driven repayment plans are affected by the court's injunction? Following a court injunction last summer, loan forgiveness for the SAVE, Income-Contingent Repayment, or ICR, and Pay As You Earn, or PAYE, plans is currently paused because those plans were not created by Congress. The legal action called into question whether student loan forgiveness was authorized under the federal statute that governs those plans. The IBR plan was created under a different authority. IBR, created by Congress, reduces monthly payments for borrowers with lower incomes. It also invokes a statute that authorizes student loan forgiveness of the balance at the end of a 20- or 25-year repayment term. When will IBR forgiveness resume? The Education Department hasn't given a timeline for when its system update will be complete and forgiveness will resume. Should a borrower continue to make IBR payments in the interim? Borrowers enrolled in IBR who have reached the threshold for forgiveness but who are not seeing their loans discharged as a result of the pause may continue to make payments with the expectation that the Education Department will refund the excess payments. The plan offers forgiveness after 240 or 300 monthly payments, depending on when borrowers enrolled. Borrowers can also request forbearance from their loan servicer. In that case, interest would continue to accrue on any remaining balance. What changes are coming from Trump's 'big beautiful bill'? Trump's tax and spending law will eventually phase out the ICR, PAYE and SAVE plans, replacing them with the Repayment Assistance Plan. IBR plans will continue to exist and to provide forgiveness after 20 or 25 years. RAP, in contrast, will require 30 years of repayment before forgiveness is granted. ___ The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.
Al Arabiya
11 hours ago
- Business
- Al Arabiya
What's happening with forgiveness for student loans on income-based repayment plans?
Amid a federal overhaul of student loan plans, many borrowers have been left wondering what it means for their hopes of loan forgiveness. In particular, those who are enrolled in a repayment plan known as income-based repayment, or IBR, have wondered if forgiveness will still be available to them. A recent update from the Education Department said forgiveness through the IBR plan is paused while systems are updated. IBR forgiveness will resume once those updates are completed, the agency said. IBR is not affected by a federal court's injunction blocking former President Joe Biden's Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan. The IBR plan was created by Congress separately from other existing repayment plans, including those known as PAYE and ICR. It's also exempt from some changes coming from President Donald Trump's tax and spending bill. Here's what to know. Following a court injunction last summer, loan forgiveness for the SAVE, Income-Contingent Repayment, or ICR, and Pay As You Earn, or PAYE, plans is currently paused because those plans were not created by Congress. The legal action called into question whether student loan forgiveness was authorized under the federal statute that governs those plans. The IBR plan was created under a different authority. IBR, created by Congress, reduces monthly payments for borrowers with lower incomes. It also invokes a statute that authorizes student loan forgiveness of the balance at the end of a 20- or 25-year repayment term. The Education Department hasn't given a timeline for when its system update will be complete and forgiveness will resume. Borrowers enrolled in IBR who have reached the threshold for forgiveness but who are not seeing their loans discharged as a result of the pause may continue to make payments with the expectation that the Education Department will refund the excess payments. The plan offers forgiveness after 240 or 300 monthly payments depending on when borrowers enrolled. Borrowers can also request forbearance from their loan servicer. In that case, interest would continue to accrue on any remaining balance. Trump's tax and spending law will eventually phase out the ICR, PAYE, and SAVE plans, replacing them with the Repayment Assistance Plan. IBR plans will continue to exist and to provide forgiveness after 20 or 25 years. RAP, in contrast, will require 30 years of repayment before forgiveness is granted. ___ The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.
