On the heels of Minister of Education Lisa Beare , a group of activists, teachers and passers-by gathered at ministry headquarters to protest the possible re-implementation of the school police liaison officer program.

In December, the minister appointed a special advisor to work with the board to develop a safety plan, which was to be turned in by Jan. 6. On the due date, the board submitted to the ministry, which are currently under review.

The move comes after the board removed school police liaison officers (SPLO) from schools in 2023, resulting in protests and concerns from local police and parents regarding an in South Island schools.

At the ministry protest on Friday, Jan. 10, participants questioned the lack of evidence regarding whether school officers actually make schools safer, and they expressed concern over the "overreach" of the government threatening to fire democratically-elected school trustees.

"There's no evidence that these programs actually work, right?" said Alyx MacAdams, who helped organize the rally. "And what we do have a little bit of evidence about, is that there's students who feel less safe when there's police officers in schools, and this in particular impacts BIPOC students and LGBTQ students."

The choice to remove the SPLO program came after a recommendation from B.C. Human Rights Commissioner Kasari Govender. She, mostly from the U.S. and one from Vancouver, in 2021, where students who identified as persons of colour expressed negative feelings and experiences with the school liaison program, pointing to broader concerns about the program鈥檚 ties to policing.

Matthew Christie, a teacher and a speaker at the rally, said issues relating to kids getting involved in gangs and drugs are more so caused by social problems that can't be solved by more policing.

"[Police] were being used for everything from mentoring students at times, to conflict resolution, to behavioural supports, to running programming like the D.A.R.E. program, which is a drug abstinence program. And so... What are their credentials for that?" he asked the crowd.

He told a story about when a member of a symphony visited his class last year to show his students his instrument and chat, which had excited the students and proved to be a success. This year, however, funding couldn't allow for a symphony speaker to come again.

"Instead of giving the funding to counsellors, instead of giving it to the music programs, instead of giving it to community organizations that can actually support students and help their mental health, help them in the ways that they need to become successful, thriving citizens, they're like, 'Let's get some fucking police in there, let's criminalize these kids,'" Christie said, which was met with cheers from the crowd.

The Greater Victoria Teachers Association, the union representing local educators, has also shared concerns regarding the rhetoric recently promoted by the minister.

"Over the last several months, I have been dismayed at the amount of misinformation and division that has been spread in an effort to reinstate the former SLO program," noted GVTA President Carolyn Howe in a news release. "Having the minister take action to dismiss them after this lobbying would have a chilling effect on other school boards, municipal governments, and other organizations who wish to critically examine the role of policing in community settings and implement oversight and reforms."

The association also noted the board's work since their election, including funding music programs, supporting educational assistant funding, increasing custodial time, creating spaces for neighbourhood children and advocating for further education funding from the province.

"Any decision to dismiss the SD61 board of trustees would not only overlook their substantial achievements but would also set a troubling precedent, undermine the democratic process, erode public trust and ultimately do more harm than good," the release noted.

In a statement released on Jan. 10, Beare said the safety plans are under review, along with the report from the special advisor.

鈥淚 appreciate the many voices raised this week as we continue to work on a path forward in Victoria. My focus is on the safety of students and staff in School District 61. Safety remains my highest priority, and I recognize the urgency in addressing this issue," she noted.