Education workers, teachers, families and students rallied at Saskatoon City Hall on September 25, 2024 to demand stronger action on violence in Saskatchewan schools. The gathering followed a grave attack at Evan Hardy Collegiate and reflected concerns that unsafe incidents were becoming a routine occupational and educational issue.
Three labour groups organized the rally
The Canadian Union of Public Employees, Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation and Saskatchewan Federation of Labour called for increased funding, adequate staffing and a provincial safety plan. CUPE members include educational assistants, custodians and other support workers.
Different roles encounter different risks, so solutions must include the people responsible for daily supervision and student support.
Survey findings showed widespread exposure
A University of Ottawa study reported that 84 per cent of surveyed Saskatchewan education-sector workers experienced at least one act, attempt or threat of physical force during the 2022–23 school year. A CUPE survey reported 70 per cent experienced violence over three years.
Survey design and self-selection affect exact prevalence, but the results were too substantial to dismiss as isolated anecdote.
The Evan Hardy attack intensified urgency
A student suffered serious injuries after being set on fire on September 5. Education workers were directly affected during the emergency.
That criminal case required due process and privacy for young people; it also justified reviewing prevention, emergency response and support without assuming every rare act was predictable.
Understaffing can turn needs into crises
Students with disabilities, trauma, communication barriers or behavioural needs may require individualized assistance. When specialists and educational assistants cover too many pupils, early signs can be missed and interventions delayed.
Recognizing resource needs does not label those students as dangerous. Most people with disabilities or mental illness are not violent.
Workers have occupational safety rights
Schools are workplaces as well as learning environments. Employers should document hazards, investigate incidents, train staff and create procedures for summoning help.
Reporting must not punish a worker or student for revealing a problem, and injury data should be published in a form that protects identities.
Discipline alone cannot create safety
Suspension may be necessary after serious conduct, but exclusion without assessment or support can move risk elsewhere. Prevention includes manageable classes, counselling, special education and stable relationships.
Police involvement should be proportionate and should not substitute for health and education services.
Students also need recovery support
Witnessing violence can cause fear, absence and difficulty learning. Trauma-informed counselling, clear communication and a predictable return to routine help the wider school community.
Privacy should not become institutional silence; families can receive useful safety information without confidential details.
The province was asked for measurable action
The rally’s central argument was that goodwill from individual staff could not compensate indefinitely for inadequate systems. Funding claims should be assessed through staffing ratios, wait times, incidents and support delivered in classrooms.
A credible plan would set responsibilities, timelines and public indicators. Safe schools require accountability and prevention, not a promise made only after a headline-generating emergency.
Regular consultation with students, families and frontline workers would help officials detect whether reported improvements were actually reaching individual classrooms.
