By: Chiamaka Emeadi and Bree Bissonnette

Take a stroll down the hallways of KCI, and you will likely find the “Hallway Citizenship” posters. On September 6th, the first day of school, both junior and senior students were introduced to these school rules in assemblies. The five guidelines include using only the washroom facilities found on the same floor as learning classrooms and many more,  self-identifying if asked by KCI staff, and more. 

Mr. Kline, one of KCI’s three Vice-principals, was the creator of the new guidelines. 

“It came to our attention last year, throughout the year, that some students at KCI felt uncomfortable in the hallways,” he said.  “We decided that it would help if we came up with some common guidelines for the hallway that would help make everyone feel more comfortable and safe and help everyone to focus on their learning.” 

Many students, like Lilah Rutledge, a grade 10 student, are less opinionated towards the guidelines. “I don't really mind them,” she said. “But, I'm sure it really impacts people that just need to go to the bathroom or need to go get a drink of water, and it feels like they are being questioned."

Many other students also support the new guidelines, but also have their concerns. “I don't mind the rules that much,” a grade nine student disclosed. “I think they are helpful, but some are a little extreme.”

She is not alone in her stance. Several interviewed students, ranging from grade nines to fifth years, felt uneasy about Student Citizenship, calling it “inconvenient”. Other criticism suggested the bathroom-related rules were ‘inconsiderate’ to students, especially to girls. 

Alexa Mueller, a grade 10 student, told The Edge, “If you need to take a period product, or have to take longer in the bathrooms, then it's inconveniencing and singles girls out more.”

Several members of KCI staff, including Mr. Millar, a grade nine Business teacher, are in support of the new Hallway Citizenship rules. "We all realize that something needs to change,” he said. “One of the rules is ‘you have the right to a safe bathroom.’ We are an urban school and there are all manner of people who come onto our property, who shouldn’t come onto our property.” 

His Raider colleagues expressed similar sentiments, believing that rules impacted them more positively. One staff member had the following to say: "I view these rules positively. It’s hard to teach a group of kids if everyone’s always up and leaving, or on their cellphones, or everyone’s meeting in the bathrooms, and we don’t have a full class. Then we end up having to re-teach things.”

However, not all the staff feel the same way. A KCI hall monitor told The Edge they didn't see a point in the unveiling of the Student Citizenship, as there were no recognizable improvements. This was especially noticeable when trying to identify students in the hallways. 

“I don't get a lot of answers from kids,” they said. “I'll say, “What's your name,” and they'll say, “I don't know”... I don't know how you would address it, really."

Admin’s goals were to tackle some of the pressing issues affecting KCI’s safety without burdening its students. Mr. Kline says he was able to create the rules by taking the most common suggestions of staff focus groups from last semester. The process included sessions with 30 staff members including teachers, custodians, secretaries, guidance and hall monitors, all placed in groups of five. The goal, he added, was to hear about their main concerns and suggestions.

“By the end of the year, we had a bunch of ideas and feedback on a shared Google Sheet, very similar to how students would brainstorm. I [also] worked with the leadership teacher and student representatives, the co-primes from last year, so that we could get student voices involved.” 

He went on to speak on what he considered to be the most important rule of Hallway Citizenship.  “My favourite one, and the one that I value the most, is number three: Identification. And really what that one is about is the power and importance of knowing each others’ names in this building, and knowing each other beyond just who’s just in my classes. Or from a teacher’s perspective, knowing more kids than the students they teach.”

He later disclosed that the fifth guideline, the five-minute limit, was not to be interpreted as a strict rule; citing situations when it wasn’t possible to limit the amount of time outside of class. 

“Sometimes students have a preferred room they like to use. Sometimes the bathroom’s out of order because of damage, sometimes the bathroom is being cleaned, or a bathroom might really stink because we’re talking about humans!” he laughed. “Sometimes things might happen; as long as people are honest with each other and do what they need to do as quickly as possible, and honour their school responsibilities.”

Mr. Kline continued, “There are times when people are going to leave more than five minutes. For example, we have students who leave to pray, and they need 15 to 20 minutes for prayer time. Or, we have students who are travelling inside the building from the portables, and it's not humanly possible to make it within five minutes!” 

Thanks to these rules, he notices that the hallways and stairwells have become quieter.  Nevertheless, he understood there may be those who disagree with him.  He asks anyone who still feels skeptical of the new rules to come forward. “If anyone feels that it’s inconsiderate, they definitely should come forward, and say something, and voice that, and feel comfortable doing that… complaining isn’t productive. Talking through situations and working through situations together, that’s productive.