After terror attacks some Alberta schools cancel all international field trips
The Edmonton Catholic School Board has decided that it isn't taking any chances. The board announced it is cancelling all international school trips for its students for the rest of the school year.
"It was a really difficult decision," Lori Nagy tells As It Happens host Carol Off. "We had to weigh the benefits of the trips and also the risks."
"It just cemented for us that these things can happen anywhere at any time," Nagy argues. "We no longer live in a stable world climate and we just felt that the risks were too great compared to the benefits so that is why we decided to go and cancel all of them."
At present, over 500 students will be affected by the cancellation. Nagy understands why many students and parents are disappointed. She adds that some parents have stepped in to organize the trips independently and that two upcoming trips should go ahead as scheduled.
"We didn't feel that as a school district we wanted to take that responsibility of parents. We always defer to parents for their choices and if they wanted to take their children on a trip then that is where things stand now," Nagy explains.
But Nagy admits that personally, she would struggle with letting her own son travel outside of Canada.
"There has been so much terrorism and of course there's threats that haven't even happened and hopefully won't. So I think that if it was up to me I wouldn't have allowed my son to go on a trip either."
I don't think we're telling them that the world is fraught with perils - I think they know it is.- Lori Nagy
Nagy says she appreciates both sides of the argument but insists that the safety of the students and staff is the "first and only" priority of the board. She adds that the students understand the decision. But, not all of them. She also dismisses those who say the announcement sends the wrong message.
"I don't think we're telling them that the world is fraught with perils - I think they know it is," Nagy explains. "I think that again, if the parents want to make that decision, great. But we are not going to play with students' lives."
Despite the Parliament Hill attack in 2014, Nagy says the school is still going ahead with a plan to travel to Ottawa. For now, she says the board will continue any trips planned within Canada but that domestic travel may also have to be reviewed.
"If all of a sudden we start to experience what the US and Europe is going through then yeah, we'd have another look at that as well."
Calgary's Catholic School District announced on Monday that it has also cancelled this year's international trips.