School-based memorials to stay in place for now, says P.E.I. education minister

P.E.I.'s minister of education has asked that Island schools refrain from removing any memorials to deceased students and staff until it takes a better look at the policy that led at least one high school to take action. 

On Wednesday, CBC News reported that Kensington Intermediate Senior High school had decided to remove memorials to students, including a sign naming a soccer field after student Aidan Harrington and a tribute wall that includes the names and photos of students and teachers who had died while attending or working at the school.

The latter memorial was being replaced by tributes on the school's website, the school told relatives of the students involved.

"Yesterday, we spent time learning the facts, asking questions, and consulting with legal counsel," Education Minister Rob Lantz said in response to a question in the legislature Thursday. 

"This is a procedure that was only in draft form and was never approved by the elected board of trustees," he said. "I sent a letter to the Public Schools Branch asking them at this time to instruct their schools to immediately stop removal of memorials and to reinstate those that were removed. 

"Based on the understandable upset in the community that this has caused, we've asked [the PSB] to step back, stop what's happening, and consult with the community," Lantz said. 

On Wednesday, the Public Schools Branch said the idea was based on recommendations from the U.S.-based National Association of School Psychologists, and was meant to match what's being done in some other Canadian jurisdictions.

Research suggests that seeing reminders of past deaths every day can be detrimental to the mental health of some students, especially if the person being honoured had died recently, a Public Schools branch official said. 

In the legislature Thursday, Liberal MLA Gord McNeilly questioned why P.E.I.'s  school system would adopt "another country's approach that is vastly different from our own."

Lantz agreed that the Public Schools Branch needs to come up with a local solution.

"I think we need to step back. This was a draft policy. It was never brought forward, never approved, and we need to put this to bed while we work on a local solution to this," the minister said.

Lantz tabled the letter he'd written Thursday to the Public Schools Branch asking it to stop the removal of any memorials until consultations can be held.

The branch has said those consultations will begin Dec. 2.