Statement: New Manitoba law puts students’ safety at the forefront

Earlier this week, Bill 35 — The Education Administration Amendment Act — officially became law in Manitoba. There have long been calls for reform on how serious complaints against teachers are handled in this province and we are pleased to see all parties at The Manitoba Legislative Assembly support this important change.

The Act will lead to more transparency, clarity, and procedural fairness that will benefit students, teachers and parents alike. In addition, it provides the opportunity for anyone concerned about the professional misconduct of a teacher to have an accessible and open reporting mechanism and for their concerns to be addressed formally.

It will also protect teachers in the province with added transparency in the complaints process, and a clarified definition of “professional misconduct.” Teachers are now subject to a consistent set of professional standards that define competency.

Research by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection found nearly 300 current or former school personnel working in Canadian K–12 schools committed (or were accused of committing) offences of a sexual nature against students between 2017–2022. A decentralized process for managing reporting contributed to the problem. The Manitoba Government understood the need for change. Through cross-party support, children’s safety in schools has been enhanced.

Moving forward, we hope future governments will continue to strengthen the Act through the inclusion of all school personnel, not just teachers.