Well, November 19-25, is anti-bullying week.
Ontario has designated Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week to help promote safe schools and a positive learning environment.
Lena Cormier is the General Manager of STOCK Transportation, that runs a lot of the school buses you see in the area and she thought it would be a good stunt to bring public awareness to the issue.
"Our campaign is being organized to let our community know that there is a lot of bullying happening in and around the school bus," says Cormier.
“Bullying is happening every single day; not only for students but also drivers and management staff.
"This is happening in other locations as well, it is not unique to North Bay."
Cormier remains hopeful, that as a community, we might try to do something about it.
This past summer she organized an “Open House” and invited all stakeholders to stop in at the yard, and share some concerns around "Getting students to school safely, on time and ready to learn."
The event was not well attended with only some sending their regrets.
But she didn't give up.
Yesterday the pink school bus and the paintball spattered buses were driving through town to highlight the bullying concerns experienced by students, drivers, and management.
"Paintball locations indicate the target of bullying on that particular bus: to the side it is the students; the front it is the driver; and the back it is management," explained Cormier.
Some of the key issues affecting school bus safety are:
- The volume of distracted driving
- Drivers are expected to supervise up to 63 students without any assistance (i.e. adult monitors) as they drive their bus through traffic in all weather and road conditions.
- There is no provincial standard for adult to child ratio on school busses in Ontario; and the ministry standard is three students per seat from (JK to grade Six).
- With an increase in joint custody arrangements, some bus drivers are expected to know up to four different stops for a child. Accommodations have also been made for parents to have students picked up or dropped off at their workplace (commercial establishments).
"Simply put, bussing has become an expectation of convenience and the risk to student's safety is increasing yet the responsibility falls to the drivers," admits Cormier.
There is currently a shortage of drivers in North Bay.
The province describes bullying as "a form of repeated, persistent and aggressive behaviour directed at an individual or individuals that is intended to cause (or should be known to cause) fear and distress and/or harm to another person's body, feelings, self-esteem or reputation."
