Edmonton Public Schools have reported a significant decline in the use of seclusion rooms over the past five years, according to a new report presented to the board of trustees. However, inclusion advocates continue to call for the complete elimination of the practice.
Sharp Reduction in Seclusion Room Usage
So far this school year, seclusion rooms have been used 272 times, a dramatic decrease from 1,469 uses during the 2021-22 school year. The total number of seclusion rooms in the division has also dropped from 167 in 2023-24 to just 46 this year. Notably, seclusion rooms have been completely removed from the division's Interactions program classrooms, which serve students with autism.
Board chair Saadiq Sumar acknowledged the progress but stopped short of committing to a full elimination of seclusion rooms. "It's difficult to say, we're always trying to make progress towards that," Sumar said when asked about a timeline for eliminating the practice entirely.
Physical Restraints Show Slight Increase
While seclusion room use has declined, Ward E Trustee Sarah Doll expressed concern about a potential upward trend in the use of physical restraints. In 2021-22, 343 unique students were subjected to physical restraints. That number rose in 2022-23 and dipped only slightly the following year. So far this school year, the division reports restraints were used on 187 students, though officials note that changes in reporting methods for unique students may make the current figure more accurate.
"What I'm wondering is, have there been identified concerns with reduced inclusion rooms to us ending up with more physical restraints?" Doll asked during the board meeting.
Advocate Calls for Provincewide Ban
Philip Ney, an advocate with Inclusion Alberta, praised the division's progress but argued that the practice could be eliminated within a year if the division made it a priority. "We're calling for a provincewide ban," Ney said. "There's no reason that a year from now the practice couldn't be completely eliminated."
Ney emphasized that seclusion rooms traumatize students and can exacerbate challenging behaviours. He recommended that the division study jurisdictions that have successfully phased out seclusion rooms and replicate their strategies. "It would take investment and redoubling of efforts," Ney added.
The report also detailed the division's training, oversight, and use of external resources related to seclusion and restraints. According to the report, seclusion rooms are only used as a "last resort" in exceptional circumstances where a student's behaviour poses a serious and imminent risk of harm to themselves or others.
