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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
'Commitment remains': Why Edmonton Public Schools is phasing out seclusion rooms
Edmonton Public Schools is continuing to phase out the use of seclusion rooms, spaces once used to isolate students during crisis situations, in favour of more supportive, inclusive approaches. A report presented to the Edmonton Public Schools' Board (EPSB) this week shows the division is steadily reducing both the number of seclusion rooms in schools and how often they're used. EPSB superintendent Darrel Robertson said the ultimate goal is to eliminate the need for seclusion rooms altogether. 'Believe me when I say, folks, I don't want seclusion rooms in our division at all,' Robertson told trustees at last week's board meeting. The report describes a seclusion room as a small, enclosed space intended for use in emergency situations when a student's behaviour poses a serious and imminent risk to themselves or others. The use of these rooms have long drawn criticism from parents and advocacy groups. But according to EPSB's report, their use is strictly regulated under both provincial standards and the division's internal policy. Staff must be specially trained, and seclusion is only used when all de-escalation and preventative strategies have failed. These rooms' use must be included in a student's individual behaviour support plan, developed in collaboration with parents, who maintain the right to deny seclusion as an option, Robertson said. 'We respect that,' he said. 'We just need to work in collaboration on alternative, emergent plans. Exclusion rooms are only to be used in the event of an emergent situation where there is imminent danger to, you know, self harm or the harm of others, and it's only for the time of dysregulation.' As of May 1, 2025, there are 105 seclusion rooms across the division, down from 167 one year prior, a reduction of 62 rooms. These reductions were achieved in part through official 'de-commissioning' processes where schools remove the door and shift the space to a different use. To encourage the transition, the division supplied schools with sensory materials to transform the rooms into sensory/self-regulation spaces, which are calming environments equipped with tools to help students manage their emotions and sensory needs. For existing seclusion rooms, decommissioning begins with physically altering the space. 'First of all, the door comes off, there's no longer a doo with any kind of blocking mechanism,' Robertson said. Between June and August 2024, 24 rooms were decommissioned and repurposed. Another 38 followed between September 2024 and May 2025. Not all uses of these spaces qualify as seclusion. More than half of the 1,240 uses recorded between September 2024 and April 2025 were self-selected by students, meaning the student chose to enter the space to calm down or work quietly, and the door remained open. These are not counted as seclusion. But 445 uses, or 35.89 per cent, were non-self-selected, where a student was placed in the room during a crisis or emergency. The division's approach to behavioural support has shifted toward proactive strategies, including staff training, relationship-building, and de-escalation techniques, so that crisis situations are avoided before they arise. 'Moving forward with our interactions programs, we're no longer constructing seclusion rooms,' said Robertson. 'We're constructing sensory spaces… with appropriate lighting, with appropriate, different materials for children so that it becomes a sensory room experience. They are not, I repeat, not to be used as a seclusion room.' The new spaces are meant to be part of the regular classroom environment, accessible, inclusive, and tailored to meet the unique needs of each student, said the report. Some parents and advocates worry that moving seclusion room updates into the division's Annual Education Results Review (AERR), rather than continuing to present it as a standalone board report, could limit opportunities for public discussion at board meetings. But EPSB board chairwoman Julie Kusiek defended the move, saying it actually elevates the importance of the issue. 'The AERR is the division's key accountability document for the work that we undertake in our governance role as trustees, and our progress towards our division's strategic plan,' she said. 'So by reporting on progress towards our strategic plan and an expectation that the use of seclusion rooms is included in that report, we're really strengthening the accountability. And we have our target for this, which is we're moving towards zero seclusion rooms.' She added that concerns about transparency are welcome and encouraged, and families should continue to reach out to their trustees. Public conversations about seclusion room use will still be possible, she said, particularly in any reports dealing with student safety or sense of belonging. 'There's certainly going to continue to be opportunities to have public discussion on the use of seclusion rooms,' Kusiek said. 'And we, for certain, will be expecting that through the AERR every single year.' The focus remains on adopting and expanding practices that have proven successful across the division, Kusiek said. While some families are relieved to see progress, she told reporters, others are frustrated that the practice hasn't yet been eliminated entirely. 'There is celebration here in terms of the movement towards the reduction in the number of seclusion rooms and the use of seclusion rooms,' Kusiek said. 'And as we heard from the superintendent, our goal remains to continue to improve our practices so that the use of these rooms is no longer required.' Starting in the 2025-2026 school year, reporting on seclusion room usage will be included in the division's AERR. The division also plans to: Continue providing professional learning for staff; Monitor and decommission unused seclusion rooms; Support the shift to sensory/self-regulation spaces based on student needs. While the use of seclusion has not yet been eliminated, Robertson says the division is committed to doing better. 'We've enhanced our professional learning, but we clearly have more work to do,' he said. 'Our commitment remains. We are going to continue to work towards the elimination of seclusion rooms… which I hope one day is zero.' cnguyen@ 'Last resort': Parents urge Edmonton Public Schools to end seclusion rooms Seclusion room use shows a "failure of imagination": advocate
Motor 1
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
This City Added Speed Cameras. Now, They're Issuing 30,000 Tickets a Month
Last year, San Francisco's Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) voted to install 33 cameras at high-risk intersections across the city beginning in late April. Those cameras issued more than 30,000 warnings in their first month of operation—that's more than 1,000 warnings per day, and the final 11 cameras aren't even up and running yet. According to SF MTA, the first batch of 22 cameras was launched on March 20th, 2024, in response to a new state law that allowed such changes. Walking advocacy groups, among others, had petitioned for the installation on the grounds of pedestrian safety. Photo by: Getty Images The San Francisco Chronicle said the cameras were placed in areas with a history of speeding and crashes. These areas included school zones and commercial corridors, with the cameras snatching plate photos of vehicles traveling at least 11 miles per hour over the posted speed limit. Nearly half the warnings were issued from cameras at the border of Golden Gate Park, which will likely be the stretch of road most familiar to us outsiders, and those cameras didn't come online until April 22, data from SFMTA said. However, San Francisco's camera program is still in its trial phase, meaning these "tickets" issued by the cameras are just warnings for now, aimed at lowering the overall speed in these high-risk areas. But that's about to change once the program is fully implemented. Photo by: Getty Images Those traveling 11-15 mph over the limit are fined $50 according to California state law, with the price increasing to $500 for any vehicle traveling 100 mph or more. (Frankly, that seems a bit low for getting caught doing a buck anywhere in San Francisco's congested tangle of streets). Given the staggering number of tickets handed out during the trial phase of this camera rollout, we'd guess drivers will learn to curb their speeds in these areas. But it's definitely one lesson to keep in your back pocket: Slow down in San Francisco. Don't Speed Which States Have 80 MPH Speed Limits In 2025? Another State Joins the 80-MPH Speed Limit Club Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Source: San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency via San Francisco Chronicle Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
The Guardian
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Up to 700,000 migrants do not have UK eVisas, days before deadline
Hundreds of thousands of people have still not registered for eVisas, leaving them without the means to prove their immigration status just days before the final deadline. The Home Office is replacing physical identity documents for millions of migrants with online information, which can be used for traveland the right to work and rent a home. The controversial new system has been dogged by a succession of technical problems. A high court challenge is under way arguing that the Home Office should put in a physical backup for times when the online system fails. According to Home Office data, by the end of 2024 3.2 million people had registered for eVisas out of an estimated 4 million who need them. Another 100,000 eVisa accounts were created in January of this year. The Home Office says that earlier this year 100,000 visas expired, mainly for students, but it is not known whether this group have all left the country or are in the process of applying for alternatives. This means there could be up to 700,000 people who will not have registered for eVisas by the 1 June deadline. It is also not known exactly how many people have created eVisa accounts that are not working. Lawyers, the media and advocacy groups have received countless complaints about the problems people have experienced with eVisas. Some people have been delayed in boarding return flights to the UK after staff at foreign airports have not accepted the eVisasor they could not be accessed online. The Home Office has already twice extended the deadline for registering, firstly from 31 December 2024 to 31 March 2025 and then to 1 June in the hope of getting more people to register. Officials confirmed to the Guardian that there have been at least two IT failures relating to online visa systems, the first from 5 to 6 March and the second on 8 and 9 May. Home Office sources confirmed that the March issue related to a Home Office system update, which caused a limited number of people to see incorrect information within the 'Update Your Details' element of their account. This resulted in some people seeing an incorrect reference number and nationality for identity documents linked to their account. In the second incident, an error message popped up on screen when people tried to input visa information relating to email verification, preventing people from submitting visa applications. The error message said: 'We are urgently working to fix this and are sorry for any inconvenience caused.' Open Rights Group is one of the organisations that has raised concerns about failings in the eVisa system. Sara Alsherif, the migrant rights programme manager at the group, said: 'As a result of the flawed eVisa scheme, people with the legal right to be in the UK have been held at airports, denied jobs and even made homeless.' Unkha Banda, a solicitor at Deighton Pierce Glynn involved in the eVisas legal challenge, said: 'We're seeing worrying numbers of clients being denied vital services like housing and public funds because their eVisa accounts contain incorrect personal information. 'Even more concerning is the fact that Home Office's systems to fix these issues are slow and often ineffective. The government has the legal power to offer alternative proof of status – it must start doing so to prevent more people being harmed.'
