Following two walkouts at Calgary high schools last week, two more protests were held Monday by students who allege that school administration under the Calgary Board of Education is not doing enough to support victims of sexual assault.
The protests took place at Henry Wise Wood High School in the southwest and Centennial High School in Sundance.
Some students have said that allegations of sexual violence have been reported to school staff, however, they say there has been a lack of response.
Unrest now appears to growing.
Including Monday’s events, there have now been four protests in less than a week, with rallies previously held at Western Canada High School and Central Memorial High School.
Protests are expected to take place at William Aberhart High School on Tuesday and St. Francis High School on Friday.
Students attending the protest at Centennial say change is long overdue.
“We feel like we’re not being heard, and we deserve to be heard,” says Adara Edison. “The way that things have been going with sexual assault and rape cases is not OK.”
Edison says part of Monday morning’s protest was to show solidarity with other Calgary high schools.
“Seeing as other schools are protesting, that means it’s an issue, and it’s not just our school.”
In a statement to Global News, Alberta’s education ministry said: “All students deserve to feel safe in their schools, and school authorities must provide safe, caring learning environments.”
The statement said that if the recently tabled Students First Act is passed, it “will enhance student safety while ensuring transparency and accountability in disciplinary processes for teachers and teacher leaders.”
The CBE says that it takes the concerns raised by students seriously and is committed to listening to learn more.
The Calgary Police Service says that it is aware of the ongoing protests about how sexual assault allegations are handled, adding that it takes any allegations reported to police seriously.