From CBC News–Anne-Marie Robinson had two goals when she started researching eduction laws in every province across Canada — to advocate for better protections for kids in school and at the same time, heal herself.
“I wanted to understand how cases were still happening and how these children were getting abused by their teachers,” said Robinson, a sexual abuse survivor based in Ottawa and the subject of the new CBC investigative podcast, The Banned Teacher.
“It’s still, in my view, way too easy for a teacher today to abuse a student and get away with it,” she said.
Robinson said her research uncovered gaps in every jurisdiction, including systemic issues such as a lack of accountability for school boards and independence for investigators, as well as inadequate responses to new challenges such as online grooming.
Her lobbying efforts have grabbed the attention of lawmakers and officials in Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba.
Ahead of the pack is Manitoba, which passed the Education Administration Amendment Act on May 30 to bolster protections for children. That province had been identified as one of the jurisdictions most in need of change.