Drop in school suspensions, expulsions latest symptom of unusual school year

The Waterloo Region District School board has noted a precipitous drop in school suspensions and expulsions amid a school year unlike any other. 

As of February, there were about 2,000 fewer suspensions among elementary and secondary students compared to the same period the year before, according to a board of trustees report. 

Elementary suspensions dropped by about 700 and secondary suspensions by about 1,300. 

There were no school board expulsions at all during the same time period, down from 14 last year. 

The shift to remote learning likely played a significant role in the drop in suspensions, said superintendent Bill Lemon. This was especially true in January, given that all students attended school remotely at that point. 

Is it even possible to suspend students learning over Zoom? 

"It's pretty rare, but it did happen," said Lemon, who declined to give specifics. 

Less idle time together

Even when students have been in in-person school this year, Lemon said they have likely had more supervision and less idle time than in years past. 

Most suspensions tend to come out of repeated behaviours, such as bullying, that erupt out of interpersonal conflict, he said. 

"And so you reduce the number of interpersonal interactions, and I think it stands to reason that you're going to reduce the number of interpersonal conflicts," said Lemon. 

Lemon noted the province also banned discretionary suspensions for students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 last year, which would have also accounted for some of the drop. 

Kids need conflict, says prof

Carolyn FitzGerald, a professor of education at Wilfrid Laurier University, said the drop in suspensions and expulsions may not be a surprise — but said it is noteworthy.

She said children and teenagers need to experience conflict so they can learn how to move past it. If these students haven't had a chance to do that this year, that could be a problem. 

FitzGerald likened it to how many people haven't been sick with a cold or flu in the last year, because they haven't been around others. 

"It might seem like a good thing, but on the other hand, my immune system hasn't been challenged by anything," said FitzGerald. 

"We know that when your immune system is not challenged at all, it doesn't get a chance to become stronger." 

Lemon said the board is aware of that issue, and is working with schools to prepare for what September 2021 will hold. 

"We're trying to create a world where we're equipping our students with the tools to productively solve conflicts in a healthy way," he said. 

The Waterloo Catholic District School Board said it has noticed a similar trend but official data is not yet available.