Daniel MacIsaac
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jun 28/99) - In response to concerns raised by parents, the government has released the Child Abuse Protocol Review.

The territorial Department of Education said the independent review was initiated after parents raised concerns regarding the protocol employed to investigate issues of child abuse in Yellowknife schools.

"I am working with the minister of Health and Social Services, Floyd Roland, to consider these recommendations," said Education Minister Michael Miltenberger when he released the review. "Together we are developing a response for the legislative assembly in July."

Miltenberger said he's met with the chairs of the NWT education boards and has already discussed the need for better staff orientation regarding the existing protocol.

"They agree that this is something we need to work on," he said.

Miltenberger said this week that it's also important to examine the relationships between the school, social workers and the RCMP.

In her review, consultant Shannon Gullberg provided some context for the initiative. She wrote that besides some parents expressing concerns about the protocol in 1997, there were also general concerns about "various signatories" to the protocol having difficulty with its implementation -- "including issues of training, reporting and follow-up on investigations."

A summary of her recommendations includes the development and implementation of a systematic training program and of a public eduction program. Gullberg also writes specifically, "that the school board of Yellowknife Education District No. 1 formally advise all school personnel in the education district that they are to follow the protocol and report all suspected child abuse immediately."

Yellowknife's public board had been the focus of criticism in 1997, and superintendent Ken Woodley is still involved in a legal suit with one parent over the issue.

But Woodley, currently suspended, said that while he hasn't seen the new protocol review, it doesn't sound very different from what currently exists.

"None of that sounds any different from what we have in place -- but, of course, training is always a good idea," he said. "I'm not sure what the motivation was behind the review other than to make sure that everything is being done properly and that the children's interests are being guaranteed."

Miltenberger said the initiative is also geared at making sure there is a consistent policy in place at all of the territory's boards, where high turnover can result in large numbers of "new players" who are unfamiliar with the protocol.

"The big thing is time and, like a lot of things, if it's not in use, it's forgotten," he said. "This basically has been a wake-up call for us, and we have to be aware that we were found wanting."

District No. 1 chairman Dan Schofield said he's pleased with the review.

"These recommendations will help clarify what we as board members need to do to ensure proper protocol is followed in our schools," he said.