Would the serious incident as indicated on the police media release to parents here - http://www.hwdsb.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Incident-at-Earl-Kitchener-Public-School-update.pdf
Would the educators be on the playground?  Highly doubtful, judging from the comments on the CBC article.

Chichakian, is correct in saying having parents on the playground the kids are a lot safer. I suspect if there is on average 100 parents on the playground, the parents are present to protect their children from bullying while awaiting the doors to the school to open. I check the bell times - http://www.hwdsb.on.ca/earlkitchener/bell-schedule/

Can a handful of educators prevent a kidnapping, perhaps a medical intervention to a bullying incident?  I suspect not, when the bell times and the arrival-check program is not in sync with educators or parents.  As for the little K student, why was the K student on the playground at 12 noon, when K classes are dismissed at 11:20 am?  Good thing there was a parent….......

We’ve been around this block so many times that it’s almost pointless to expect that things will change no matter what is tried.  Having more eyes and ears on the playground in one sense could deter similar incidents from happening. It could also backfire, but so too could an employee of a school work against keeping students safe.

I think that it’s time to educate parents and students on how best to keep safe during the school day. Inside, outside, on the bus, en-route and allow parents to do what they feel is necessary to keep their children safe. If that means being more selective in schools so be it.

I also believe that the public system needs to come clean with parents and their communities by stop promising to guarantee safe learning environments when truthfully they can not. Maybe once upon a time but not these days. They can try to work towards keeping schools safe but in the end there is no guarantee that any public space is safe from those intent on doing harm.

Safety would indeed be a factor for parents to make alternate school choices IMO.

I think the system and parents need to be realistic about the world out there without creating an atmosphere of fear.

Safety education can be smart. I recall after reading an article about the Montreal Massacre that notices eventually circulated among students, staff and parents of that University on how not to make yourself a target, what to stay away from and what to be alerted to.

Perhaps a resource along those lines for public schools would be helpful…...written and developed by ALL Partners in the school not just the usual ones.