> Students responded overwhelmingly in favour of students’ rights to establish Gay Straight Alliances. A smaller majority of parents were also in favour.
> Parents and students were fairly evenly split about whether or not students would take the Grade 10 Civics and Careers course even if it were optional – with a slight majority of students saying no, and a slight majority of parents saying yes.
> The majority of students and parents agreed that healthy food options were being offered at the school.
> Nearly half of students say they feel pressure to finish high school in four years. In comparison, only one-third of parents believe that their child feels pressure to finish in four years.
> Just under two-thirds of students say it is acceptable for students to connect with teachers through social media websites. On the other hand, the vast majority of parents say it is not acceptable.
> Students and parents overwhelmingly agreed that teachers who coach or supervise extra-curricular activities should be recognized for their contributions.
> Just over two-thirds of students say schools should take action on cyber- bullying between students when it occurs outside of school time. In contrast, nearly all parents believe that the school should become involved even when cyber-bullying takes place outside of school time.
> Just under one-half of students say that sexual education does not adequately educate students about what they encounter or expect to encounter. In comparison, almost two-thirds of parents believe that sexual education does educate their child well.
> Over one-third of students say they would not know where to go for help if they or a friend was faced with mental health issues. The percentage of parents saying they would not know where to go for help was much smaller.
> One-third of students say fees charged for sports, teams, or extracurricular activities have prevented them from participating. The results were similar among parents, with approximately one-quarter of parents saying that fees were a barrier for their children.
A pdf of the complete survey can be found on-line at: http://www.osta-aeco.org/docs/Student%20Parent%20Survey%20Final%20Report.pdf