Glass-walled classrooms: a benefit to learning, or a detriment to privacy and security?
That question remains very much under debate in New Westminster Secondary School, as a push continues to provide blinds or other coverings for classrooms’ interior-facing glass walls.
The New Westminster Teachers’ Union, the district parent advisory council and the NWSS Student Voice group have all raised the issue with the New West school board in recent months.
The issue of window coverings is under review once again as the district embarks on its 2023/24 budget process.
To add some context to the discussion, the Record is looking back at how the issue has evolved since the school opened its doors to students in January 2021.
NWSS principal: ‘We want the learning to be transparent’
A tour of the new high school in December 2020 showed a sparkling, light-filled space, with glass-walled classrooms arranged around “campfire commons” spaces — allowing students and teachers to engage with each other and with the learning happening around them.
It was, and is, a design intended to reflect a 21st-century approach to learning.
“The philosophical background to that is we want the learning to be transparent,” principal Murray McLeod told the school board at an education committee meeting in June 2022.
“We want to have the natural light from outside illuminate our learning spaces.
“When you’re seeing good things happening in other classrooms, it’s intoxicating. I’ve had several teachers, they love walking down the halls, looking at their colleagues engaged in activities.”
But the glass windows have also raised their share of concerns over safety, privacy and distraction.
The issue of lockdown drills came under scrutiny last year, with students, parents and staff questioning how people in the school would find safe hiding spaces in the event of a lockdown emergency.
The school created a plan that included adding blinds in select classrooms where students would gather during lockdowns.
Plus, there is the issue of privacy.
Students and teachers have said the glass-walled design made it difficult for students to find private spaces to work or to deal with personal, emotional or mental health concerns — with a counsellor or otherwise.
Along with blinds, the school also added frosted glass to windows on some rooms to provide private spaces for students.
Glass walls continue to raise concerns over safety, privacy in 2023
It's now 2023, and many classrooms’ interior walls remain clear glass, with no blinds to shut off the space from the hallways and common areas outside.
And the concerns that have recurred since 2021 continue to be brought to school trustees.
Student Voice — the group that represents NWSS student concerns at the board table — brought the issue to the Feb. 7 education committee meeting this year, while presenting the results of a student survey.
“Many students have expressed that the glass walls make them feel unsafe, so it makes them feel like they have no privacy and like they’re being watched,” Student Voice rep Shantei Leal told trustees.
She said students also voiced concern that the glass walls affect their learning because they make it harder to focus in class.
The issue was also raised by New Westminster Teachers’ Union president Kristie Oxley.
Speaking to the board on Feb. 21, Oxley noted the survey showed students feel “on display” and would feel safer with blinds.
“Uncovered walls continue to be an issue for teachers as well,” she said. “Teachers would support the addition of blinds, frosted glass, any sort of barrier so that students didn’t feel on display, just to sort of mitigate that feeling.”
She reiterated the message at the school board meeting on March 7, highlighting the need for blinds or other coverings for the glass walls to restore a sense of safety and privacy for students and staff.
NWSS blinds could become part of SD40 budget discussions
Superintendent Karim Hachlaf addressed the issue at the education committee meeting Feb. 7, noting a number of classrooms already have interior blinds covering the glass walls, and the idea of adding more is something the school and the district are looking at.
He said the broader issue of safety and security at the school goes far beyond the issue of the glass walls.
“This is more than simply installing the blinds in the classroom or not and suggesting that you’ve addressed the concern,” he said.
Hachlaf pointed out the issue of blinds can be dealt with through the school district’s budget process, if the board deems more window coverings are necessary.
At the March 7 school board meeting, he acknowledged the district has heard the feedback from students and recognizes their concerns over privacy. He said he’ll be coming back to the board with a plan through his superintendent recommendations.
As part of the SD40 budget process, Hachlaf makes a series of spending recommendations to the board before trustees vote on the budget.
Before then, the district holds consultation sessions with staff, parents and students in April, with public presentations from unions and the district parent advisory council scheduled for the April 26 school board meeting.
Hachlaf is scheduled to present his superintendent’s recommendations to the board on May 10, and the board will adopt the budget by the end of May.
📢 SOUND OFF: Do you have concerns about the glass walls at NWSS? Would you like to see something done? Share your thoughts — send us a letter.
Follow Julie MacLellan on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
Email Julie, jmaclellan@newwestrecord.ca
