Surrey schools launch a tracker to record classroom evacuations and highlight growing exclusion concerns in B.C.’s public education system.
Joint effort to address overlooked disruptions
In Surrey, the Surrey District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC) has partnered with the Surrey Teachers’ Association (STA) and CUPE 728 to launch the “Room Clear Tracker” — a new tool designed to document instances when entire classes are evacuated due to student behaviour. According to their news release, this move coincides with Community Inclusion Month in British Columbia, signalling the initiative’s commitment to highlight exclusion in public schooling.
Occurrence and purpose of the tracker
A “room clear” refers to an event when an entire class is cleared out because of a safety concern related to a student’s escalated behaviour. The partners describe these incidents as “a growing and largely invisible form of exclusion” in public schools. Until now, such events have not been formally tracked by the Ministry of Education of British Columbia or most school districts in the province. The tracker aims to fill that gap by enabling educators, parents and support staff to self-report incidents confidentially, thereby building an evidence-based picture of how often learning is disrupted, who is impacted and what supports are missing.
Timing and context of the launch
The tracker is now live on the Surrey DPAC website. The launch aligns with Community Inclusion Month, which celebrates full participation of people with disabilities — yet organisers say that in schools, exclusion is happening daily and often goes uncounted. The timing also comes amid an ongoing investigation by the Office of the Ombudsperson of British Columbia into exclusionary practices in public schools, where room clears have not been captured in existing data sets.
Location and participating institutions
The initiative is based in Surrey, British Columbia, involving the local DPAC, STA and CUPE 728. It covers public schools within the Surrey School District and invites participation from educators, parents and support staff across the district. While the focus is local, the partners note that the tool is intended as a step toward a province-wide initiative.
Underlying reasons for action
The launch is driven by concerns that class evacuations leave students, teachers, education assistants and classmates — as well as the student whose behaviour triggered the room clear — in unsafe, stressful situations. The news release argues that these incidents often signify gaps in support for students with complex needs. By making them visible, the partners hope to spur transparency, accountability and increased resources for inclusive education.
Mechanism and next steps
Users can access the tracker at the Surrey DPAC website and submit confidential self-reports of room-clear incidents. The aggregated findings will be made publicly available and shared with policymakers to strengthen calls for funding and systemic change. As the STA’s president says: “A room clear represents a system that has run out of options, not a child who has run out of chances.” CUPE 728 emphasises the need for more support staff, smaller class sizes and resources to create real inclusion. The partners underscore that the initiative is not about allocating blame to students but about illuminating invisible exclusion and transforming Community Inclusion Month into a call to action.
Your voice. Your city. Your news. Stay connected with Surrey Speak.
