A 62-page report was issued to the Toronto School District after the fatal stabbing of a student in September.
Hamid Aminzada, 19, was stabbed to death in the hallway of his Toronto high school on September 23 while trying to break up a fight between students. The incident prompted a review of the school district’s environment and the report, which was released Wednesday, found a lot of room for improvement.
The report gave 41 recommendations in the areas of crisis response, caring and safe environments, practices for safety in schools, community engagement and support.
In the area of crisis response, the review found a number of issues with the staff’s communication and suggested enhancing training for school employees, particularly hall monitors.
Another key suggestion was increased collaboration between the Toronto School Board and various social agencies and organizations under the city of Toronto. The review also suggested monitoring entrances or using electronic access control systems.
Staff and students reported the need for more discussion about issues like mental health, racism, respect and appropriate behavior, stressing that there should be more counseling for students.
Generally, the report wants the school board to review and update all of its emergency response procedures.
