If you've visited multiple schools in Hanover School Division you may have questioned why some have indoor window coverings and some don't.

Assistant Superintendent Chris Gudziunas explains they are required to have window coverings on outdoor windows, however there is no Provincial requirement stating indoor windows which look into classrooms are to have coverings.  Gudziunas notes there are two schools within the division, Mitchell Middle School and Kleefeld School which do have coverings on all indoor windows.  Both of those schools had additional funds when they were first built and the principals had decided to use part of the funds to purchase window coverings.  Gudziunas says research shows more natural light has a positive effect on learning and there are other benefits to having classroom windows left accessible.

"The windows that are available allow our school principals, when they're walking the hallways, to glance in and see what's going on in our classrooms.  To see some of the wonderful things that are going on there.  In the event of a fire drill part of the procedure would be for a school administrator to sweep through the school and make sure everyone got out.  Where if the windows are covered they can't glance in and take a look and see if there's still a kid there.  Supervisors who are patrolling the hallways at lunch time, for example, if someone has closed the blind and you can't see in then it makes it a little bit more challenging to see what's actually going on."

Gudziunas adds because of the Risk Management Program the division has in place, there isn't a safety concern.  He explains during a lock down procedure the outdoor window coverings could be drawn to prevent someone from looking into the classrooms from outside.  If the lock down was due to an individual who was inside the school Gudziunas notes staff and students would be informed, they would leave hallways and go into a locked area such as a classroom.  He says teachers would move the students away from windows to hide them from the individual.

Having window coverings on indoor windows are not a Provincial requirement, restates Gudziunas and the Hanover School Division takes student safety into account when making decisions.