Safe Schools is a program within the Surrey School District that encompasses a number of different programs for students and teachers.
Created in December 1998, the Safe Schools department has been a leading program nationally and internationally, according to Rob Rai, the manager of Surrey’s Safe Schools.
Rai said the department offers a tiered response for “universal safety and collective comfort.”
He added that Safe Schools offers “rudimentary pieces,” such as how to be a responsible citizen, the pitfalls of drugs and alcohol, what bullying is, how to make friends and how to maintain relationships.
“Then, as students become a little bit more identified or their behaviours begin to peak, we offer a greater level on intervention and parental support for kids that we can see are heading towards inappropriate behaviour.”
These are the more intensive programs.
“We’re working with a very, very small percentage of the population that has somehow become involved in criminal behaviours or teenagers that are really starting to impact the safety of others,” Rai said.