The Francophone South District Education Council has decided to respect the original Policy 713.

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development recently revised and updated three sections of Policy 713 which are effective July 1.

Francophone South DEC chair Michel Côté says the district was not consulted during the policy review process and it feared changes could jeopardize the health and safety of the school community.

Côté says members voted unanimously to develop their own policy which will mean a students’ chosen pronouns will be respected regardless of age.

The Anglophone East and Anglophone South District Education Councils recently made similar moves.

As stated in Section 8 of Policy 713, a District Education Council may develop policies and procedures that are consistent with provincial policy or are more comprehensive.

The new Francophone South policy, which will take effect this fall, will stipulate:

• That school staff will consult with the transgender or non-binary learner to determine their preferred first name and pronouns. First name and preferred pronouns will be used consistently as requested by the learner.
• That it applies to all learners, regardless of age.
• That all learners in the Francophone South School District will be able to participate in curricular, and extracurricular activities that are safe, welcoming and consistent with their gender identity.

During the development process, Côté says the district will work collaboratively with the school community and subject experts to ensure that every learner in the district’s LGBTQ2+ community can thrive freely in a safe, respectful, and welcoming space.