After a 15-year-old girl was intentionally set on fire at Saskatoon’s Evan Hardy Collegiate last week, the community is coming to terms with what happened.
One of the takeaways many have pointed to is the need for more resources in the classroom to keep kids and teachers safe.
Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill spoke on the incident for the first time Monday.
“I mean, a horrible incident, right? Nobody goes to school expecting that to happen,” Cockrill said.
On Thursday, a school resource officer took a 14-year-old girl into custody after another student was lit on fire.
The girl was later charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and arson.
When asked about the school resource officer program, Cockrill said he is open to discussing hiring more members after this.
“It shows the value of having a school resource officer on site,” Cockrill said. “As unfortunate as the situation is and I know we’ve got people recovering from injuries, you can’t help but think it could have been worse (without an officer).
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“I’m sure we will have more discussions in the future with the school division and police service as well on how we keep students safe.”
The 15-year-old girl remains in an Edmonton hospital recovering from her injuries.
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During the incident, a teacher was injured trying to put out the fire. Other staff members were also hurt.
Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation president Samantha Becotte said school divisions are required to provide crisis training for situations.
“Not every teacher would be required to have the training, but there would be a certain ratio of teachers who have that crisis response training,” Becotte said.
She said right now, the union is most focused on supporting the teachers involved so they are ready for when students come back to the classroom.
“We want to make sure that their physical and mental wellness is being taken care of in such a challenging time so that when they go to welcome students back, they can support them,” Becotte said.
Two separate GoFundMes have been set up for the victim and the teacher, both surpassing the fundraising goals.
“It is great to see that people from the community are providing support for them,” Becotte said.
Classes have been cancelled since Thursday, with plans to resume on Tuesday. The school has been open to students with supports inside.
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