History
History of the Safe and Caring Schools Initiative
The Safe and Caring Schools Initiative (SACS) was launched in 1996 in response to two provincial forums on school violence. The first forum was held in November 1993 to begin to understand the issues related to school violence and identify potential strategies that would ensure safe schools. Participants returned to a follow-up forum in 1994 to share successful initiatives undertaken in their communities. The Minister emphasized that the goal was to lay the necessary foundations to ensure that schools were safe environments that supported respectful and responsible behaviour.
The early stages of the SACS initiative involved resource development, research and conferences. The ATA developed preventative programs, materials and workshops related to SACS. In 1999, the Universities of Alberta, Calgary and Lethbridge published Building Foundations for Safe and Caring Schools – Research on Disruptive Behaviour and Violence.
In June 1999, the School Act was amended to include a section on safe and caring schools. Section 45(8) reads: “A board shall ensure that each student enrolled in a school operated by the board is provided with a safe and caring environment that fosters and maintains respectful and responsible behaviours.”
Alberta Education remains committed to the provincial SACS Initiative and to working with schools and communities to proactively encourage and promote safe and caring environments.
