QVPS parents concerned about their school

Roger Varley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Locked doors, teachers with radios, escorted bathroom breaks: these are some of the concerns some parents have about Quaker Village Public School.

Jennifer Cooper and Lydia Sevzel, both of whom are parents of students who attend QVPS, told the Cosmos that these steps have been made necessary because of a student with challenges who requires up to four aides to monitor him during school hours.

Both Cooper and Sevzel allege that because of the disruptions caused by the student and his aggressive nature, teachers use radios to check with each other that corridors are clear, students have to be escorted to the washrooms, all glass has been removed from display cases and all displayed art has been taken down. And doors are locked.

Quaker Village Public School, Uxbridge

Cooper said the aides who monitor the child wear protective clothing because of his aggressiveness, which sometimes results in chairs or shoes being thrown. Now, other students are not allowed to leave anything in the corridors outside their classrooms.

Nor is the student who is challenged allowed to be with other children during recess. Both Cooper and Sevzel claim the child often has his aides chasing after him because he quickly runs away; one instant they mentioned included a chase down Brock Street.

"It's horrible," said Cooper. "My kids are afraid to go to school."

Sevzel, who sometimes volunteers in the school library, said the locked doors often mean students moving from one area of the school to another sometimes have to go outside the building to get where they are going.

"The school's not equipped to deal with this" she said. "What happens if there's a real emergency?"

Cooper and Sevzel said the situation has arisen since the student transferred from Scott Central Public School at March break. Both said they have addressed their concerns to the Ministry of Education but have not yet received a response. They said their contact with the Durham District School Board resulted in an official accusing them of “being on a witch hunt.”

"We feel helpless," said Sevzel. "It's infuriating. It impacts all aspects of the school."

When contacted for comment on the situation, the Durham District School Board said they could not give out any information about students' accommodations. However, the DDSB told this Cosmos reporter twice that they "strongly suggest you do not follow this up."

School trustee Carolyn Morton was not available for comment before press time.