B.C. Education Minister Orders Victoria School Board to Revise Safety Plan

The school board faces potential replacement if it fails to deliver an approved safety plan addressing police involvement and gang activity by January 6.

Education Minister Lisa Beare has rejected the Greater Victoria School District's safety plan, citing deficiencies in addressing key safety concerns.
The district barred police from schools last year, citing concerns from Indigenous and racialized students about feeling unsafe with officers present.
Critics, including Victoria Police Chief Del Manak, have linked the absence of police in schools to increased gang recruitment and other safety risks.
Former Abbotsford superintendent Kevin Godden has been appointed as a special adviser to assist the board in creating a revised safety plan.
The revised plan must include collaboration with law enforcement, First Nations, and community partners, and be submitted by January 6 to avoid potential board replacement under the School Act.