News Releases

News Release - Manitoba

June 10, 2021

Government Establishes Minister's Advisory Council on Inclusive Education

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Ministry Releases Policy to Minimize Use of Seclusion in Schools: Cullen

The Manitoba government is creating a Minister’s Advisory Council on Inclusive Education to enhance the school experience of students with special needs and support classroom teachers, Education Minister Cliff Cullen announced today.

“We want all students to feel accepted, valued and safe in our schools, and the Minister’s Advisory Council on Inclusive Education will help us achieve this,” said Cullen.

Students in Manitoba have a wide range of learning needs that require diverse supports. The council will provide a forum for discussions on inclusive education and student services, and will advise the government on many priority actions under the Better Education Starts Today (BEST) strategy. Part of its mandate is to identify and develop strategies that focus resources where they are needed most – individual classrooms. The advisory council will fulfil a core goal of BEST: building a more inclusive education system that better meets these needs. This includes:
• professional learning needs of educators;
• enhanced classroom-level supports; and
• strategies to ensure timely assessment, learning supports and clinical services for students. 

Invitations to participate have been issued to organizations. The terms of reference for the Minister’s Advisory Council on Inclusive Education can be found at www.bettereducationmb.ca

“An inclusive community changes over time to meet the changing needs of its members and provides meaningful involvement and equal access,” said Cullen. “Educators play an important role in this work by fostering inclusive school and classroom communities where all students, including those with diverse needs and abilities, have a sense of personal belonging and achievement.”

Based on consultation with stakeholders and educators, the province has also released a policy to minimize the use of seclusion and use alternative responses to student behaviour, unless there is an immediate safety need or risk of serious physical harm. School divisions will implement procedures to ensure proactive supports for all students, and to prevent and minimize the use of this practice.

“The procedures outlined in the new policy directive are aimed at keeping students safe by focusing on the proactive use of appropriate programming and problem solving,” said Cullen. “We know our classroom teachers do an outstanding job every day in dealing with a variety of situations in the classroom, and this will provide another tool to minimize the need for and use of seclusion in schools.”

More information on Safe and Caring Schools: A Policy Directive Enhancing Proactive Supports to Minimize the Use of Seclusion is available on the Manitoba Education website at www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/docs/support/seclusion/index.html.

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