HANSARD

ONTARIO LEGISLATURE

MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2004

Mr Frank Klees (Oak Ridges): Today the parents, family and friends of 16-year-old Andrew Stewart are mourning his tragic and violent death. On behalf of all members of the Legislature, I extend our condolences.

According to reports, Andrew lost his young life attempting to defend his friend against a gang of thugs just steps from the East York Collegiate school where Andrew was a student. While crisis counsellors today are attempting to help Andrew’s friends deal with their grief and their fears, the community and this Legislature have a responsibility to address the underlying issues that have led to this tragedy.

The Toronto Sun’s Kim Bradley reported that, “Parents of some students at East York Collegiate warned the school about the brewing violence weeks before” Andrew was slain. The parents “want it to be known that they contacted the school” to report incidents of bullying at the school, and as one mother said, “‘They have done nothing.’”

This is not an isolated case. I bring to the attention of the Minister of Education another serious issue involving a 14-year-old student at Mother Teresa High School in Ottawa. The boy’s parents have pleaded with the school to ensure a safe and secure environment for their son, and their appeal is being ignored. I will ask that a page deliver this letter from the parents of this student to the Minister of Education at his desk here in the Legislature, and I ask that the minister personally intervene to ensure this child’s safety.

I am also calling on the Minister of Education to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that every principal, every teacher, every administrator in our school system treats bullying as a serious issue and that every school has a prescribed response protocol for this serious issue