Questions regarding playground supervision have been raised after a Grade 1 girl was seriously injured at a northeast Calgary school Tuesday.
The six-year-old girl’s scarf accidentally got tangled up on playground equipment at O.S. Geiger School during the noon hour recess.
Marcy Monford’s said her son witnessed the accident.
“She had gotten on somehow her scarf got stuck up in mechanism for the glider and let go, and she was hanging there. Brody said her boots fell off and he can’t get the picture out of his head,” said Monford.
“Was there anybody there? Was there enough people there? what were they doing?” asked one parent who spoke with Global News.
The Calgary Board of Education confirmed there were supervisors on the O.S. Geiger School grounds at the time. And there are reports they held the little girl up until firefighters arrived to cut her free.
The CBE also said there is not set supervisor-to-student ratio, that it’s based on each individual school.
Factors include things like sight lines and the shape of the schoolyard. And although it’s preferred, noon supervisors aren’t required to have first aid training.
In a statement, the CBE said the board follows guidelines for supervision as outlined by the Government of Alberta and it’s own guidelines and regulations.
Education Minister David Eggen said in a statement “Our thoughts are with the students and family affected by this incident.”
“Officials with Alberta Education have been in touch with the Calgary Board of Education to ensure all students affected are being supported, and I am following this situation closely,” said Eggen.
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