Edmonton school boards ban lanyards

Public and Catholic schools in Edmonton are banning non-breakaway lanyards after aGrade 3 student in southern Alberta wasalmost strangledby one last week.

The Catholic boardsuspended the use of all lanyardsMonday but after receivinginformation from Alberta Education limited the ban to non-breakaway lanyards.

"It's truly a tragic accident," said publicschool spokesperson Jane Sterling."If this is all we have to do to make sure students are safe in those situations, we're absolutely going to do it."

Elementary schools use lanyards for students who have been given permission to leave the classroom.

AGrade 3 student from Bearspaw School northwest of Calgaryis incritical condition after he was found by another student unconscious in a washroom at noon. His lanyard had been caught on the washroom cubicle door.