Ontario school board apologizes after four-year-old student walks home alone
A school board east of Toronto is apologizing after a four-year-old student walked home alone during lunchtime earlier this week.
Pickering, Ont. mother Victoria McDonald told CTV News Toronto she and her husband were sitting in their living room on Monday at around 1:15 p.m. when the front door opened.
“We saw his head pop in and we were just kind of confused. Both of us thought maybe like a teacher escorted him home,” McDonald said.
The preschooler explained he had walked the 10-minute journey home from Glengrove Public School by himself -- which includes what McDonald described as a “busy” four-way stop sign intersection -- while his class played outside during lunch because he was thirsty.
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
“We’re upset… We just can't believe that happened. A million things could have gone wrong,” McDonald said. “He could have been kidnapped or hit by a car.”
The parents said they then walked their son back to class, at which point he had been off school property for more than 20 minutes.
McDonald said neither of the two school employees who were supervising the children at the time had noticed the student was missing.
“Obviously they weren't paying attention,” she said.
After speaking with the school’s administration, McDonald said the principal suggested cutting outdoor playtime during lunch to avoid a similar incident in the future, which she argued “isn’t fair.”
“I mean, it's not the kids’ fault, it’s the teachers that weren't paying attention and doing their job.”
The parents said they’ve since heard from their son’s teacher -- who was one of those supervising the children at the time of the incident -- and she apologized.
Moreover, in an email to CTV News Toronto, the Durham District School Board (DDSB) said it was aware of the incident and they are currently investigating.
“The safety and well-being of our students is our top priority,” a spokesperson for the DDSB said, “The school administration has taken immediate steps at the school level to address this and has put in place additional precautions to prevent something like this from happening again.”
“We extend our sincere apologies to the family impacted by this incident.”
Meanwhile, McDonald said she and her husband have spoken to their son and explained that he should speak to a teacher if he needs something.
“But I mean, he's four, it's not his fault,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.