2nd Session, 43rd Legislature

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Bill 19

THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AMENDMENT ACT (SAFE SCHOOLS)

(Assented to                                         )

HIS MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, enacts as follows:

C.C.S.M. c. P250 amended

1   The Public Schools Act is amended by this Act.

2   Clause 41(1)(b.1) is amended by adding "and ensure that a written policy is established respecting appropriate and inappropriate interactions between pupils and staff" at the end.

3   The following is added after section 47.1.2 and before the centred heading that follows it:

Definitions

47.1.2.1(1)   The following definitions apply in this section.

"coach" means a person who is authorized or recognized by the principal of a school or a school division or school district to provide instruction and direction to pupils in a school sport. (« entraîneur »)

"school sport" means an individual or team sporting activity that is

(a) part of the curriculum of a school; or

(b) an extra-curricular athletic activity involving pupils organized or overseen by the principal of a school or a school division or school district. (« activité sportive en milieu scolaire »)

Appropriate and inappropriate interactions policy

47.1.2.1(2)   Every school board must establish and implement a written policy respecting appropriate and inappropriate interactions between pupils and staff that addresses

(a) the training of staff about appropriate and inappropriate interactions;

(b) the identification of appropriate and inappropriate interactions on and off school sites;

(c) the prevention and reporting of inappropriate interactions; and

(d) the complaint procedure and response protocol for incidents of inappropriate interactions.

Information to be made available

47.1.2.1(3)   The principal of each school must make information about the appropriate and inappropriate interactions policy available to the public and to pupils, parents and guardians at the beginning of each school year.

Abuse prevention programs

47.1.2.1(4)   Every school board must ensure that at least once every four years

(a) every staff member and every school volunteer completes a sexual abuse prevention program that is approved by the minister; and

(b) every coach and every school sport volunteer completes a school sport abuse prevention program that is approved by the minister.

Regulations

47.1.2.1(5)   The minister may make regulations respecting the appropriate and inappropriate interactions policy, including regulations respecting procedures for record keeping and information sharing.

Transitional

4   Every school board must ensure that, as soon as reasonably practicable after this Act comes into force,

(a) every staff member and every school volunteer completes the sexual abuse prevention program under clause 47.1.2.1(4)(a) of The Public Schools Act, as enacted by section 3 of this Act; and

(b) every coach and every school sport volunteer completes the school sport abuse prevention program under clause 47.1.2.1(4)(b) of The Public Schools Act, as enacted by section 3 of this Act.

Consequential amendment, C.C.S.M. c. E10

5   The Education Administration Act is amended by adding the following after clause 3(1)(n):

(o) approve programs for sexual abuse prevention and school sport abuse prevention.

Coming into force

6   This Act comes into force on the day it receives royal assent.