Background
Manitoba Physical Activity Safety in Schools is a comprehensive safety and risk management resource for physical activity, physical education, field trips, and interscholastic sports in Manitoba schools. It is a combination of the safety guidelines from the Safety Guidelines for Physical Activity in Manitoba Schools (2016), YouthSafe Manitoba: School Field Trip Resource, and other published Manitoba safety guidelines (for example, Swim Safe Program).
The copyright of the Ontario Safety Guidelines document was originally purchased from OPHEA (The Ontario Physical and Health Education Association) for the Safety Guidelines for Physical Activity in Manitoba Schools and were adapted for use in Manitoba.
Numerous partner groups have contributed to the development of MPASS. They include: The Physical and Health Educators of Manitoba (PHE MB), The Manitoba Physical Education Supervisor's Association (MPESA), The Manitoba School Boards Association (MSBA), and Manitoba Education (Curriculum Development & Implementation).
Manitoba Physical Activity Safety in Schools has identified and analyzed reasonable foreseeable risks and developed these standards to reflect a consensus among qualified persons about procedures to help minimize, to the greatest extent possible, the risk of a preventable accident or injury.
Manitoba Physical Activity Safety in Schools is updated annually. The annual revision process is user-driven and completed by an MPASS committee to ensure continuing quality safety standards.
Intent
The intent of Manitoba Physical Activity Safety in Schools is to provide information that will assist teachers/coaches/intramural supervisors/school administrators in minimizing the element of risk associated with physical activity through appropriate activity specific planning. Safe instructional practices, such as sequentially appropriate teaching progressions, providing age and skill appropriate activities, and planning daily lessons which address student and activity safety will assist in minimizing foreseeable risks. The information within Manitoba Physical Activity Safety in Schools will assist teachers/coaches/intramural supervisors/school administrators in fulfilling their obligation to provide a safe learning and physical activity environment in which all students can be physically active.
Impact and Scope
Manitoba Physical Activity Safety in Schools represents the minimum standard for curricular, intramural, and interschool physical activity risk management practice for school boards in Manitoba. MPASS provides teachers/coaches/intramural supervisors/school administrators with general and activity specific safe practices to minimize the elements of risk associated with physical activity. Manitoba Physical Activity Safety in Schools includes concussion information to help prevent concussions, identify suspected concussions, and manage a student's safe return to learning and physical activity.
Each school division is responsible for developing their own policies related to student safety and physical activity. Public school divisions in Manitoba may raise the standards within Manitoba Physical Activity Safety in Schools but may not lower them. Ultimately, the primary responsibility for student safety rests with school divisions. Teachers/coaches/intramural supervisors/school administrators must check school division policies to ensure they are in alignment with the higher standards should they exist.
Manitoba Physical Activity Safety in Schools is divided into Kindergarten-Grade 8 and Grades 9-12 including:
With some exceptions, age divisions are not included in activity specific pages. It is the responsibility of each school/school board to determine the age appropriateness of the activities. Where ages included in activity specific pages (for example, Rowing) the standard has been determined by experts in the field.