June 30, 2025
REDFM NEWS DESK
Calgary, Alberta- Alberta’s government is forming an advisory group to tackle growing concerns about violence and aggression in schools, with Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides calling it a serious problem that is increasingly disrupting learning and affecting student mental health.
Speaking Monday, Nicolaides said a team of 20 education system officials and teachers will be tasked with developing policy options and solutions over the next six months. He added that some of the group’s recommendations could be implemented as early as this fall.
“I’ve heard concerns directly from teachers who have experienced violence in their classrooms,” Nicolaides said. “Different groups have different perspectives and different ideas about what to do. We need to put everybody together — government, our partners — and figure out what the practical next steps are actually going to be.”
While there have been calls to hire more educational assistants, Nicolaides suggested that is only part of the answer, underscoring the need for a broader strategy that reflects the complexity of the issue.
Alberta School Boards Association president Marilyn Dennis welcomed the formation of the advisory group, describing it as a positive step toward finding meaningful ways to support both students and educators.
“Students often have complex needs that are best supported through psychologists, counsellors, and other health professionals,” Dennis said. “Finding new ways to support students and teachers in the classroom is critical work that needs to be done.”
The advisory group’s work will aim to ensure a safe, supportive learning environment across Alberta’s schools, recognizing that the issue of classroom violence is not isolated to any one region but is a growing challenge provincewide.
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