News release

School Code of Conduct On Its Way

Education (July 1999 - March 2013)

Nova Scotia is one step closer to having a school code of conduct in place by September. The Department of Education is asking the school community to comment on a draft code and proposed initiatives to support it.

The code is being designed to support a safe and respectful atmosphere for student learning.

A committee developed the draft code and outlined suggested steps for its implementation. The recommendations were submitted in a report to Education Minister Jane Purves last December.

"We made a commitment to establish a fair policy which sets out clear expectations for behaviour in schools," said Ms. Purves. "When the code is finalized, students, parents, teachers and other school staff will understand what behaviour is considered acceptable and what the consequences will be for unacceptable behaviour."

The committee that worked on the code represents students, teachers, parents, school administrators, the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, the Nova Scotia Home and School Association, the Nova Scotia School Boards Association and the department. Committee members spent a year reviewing policies in other jurisdictions before making recommendations.

The committee’s report recommends that a code of conduct be adopted by all schools in the province. It also recommends that a zero-tolerance policy not be established. The committee’s research showed that zero-tolerance policies do not address discipline issues fairly.

"We’ve brought together our public school partners and built a solid foundation for a new code of conduct that’s appropriate for Nova Scotia," said the minister. "Further feedback from the broader school community will help us to finalize a code that will work well for students, parents, teachers, and other school staff."

The report is being circulated to school boards, principals, school advisory councils, the Nova Scotia Teachers Union, the Nova Scotia School Boards Association, the Nova Scotia Federation of Home and School Associations and others for their review and comments. Responses are expected by the end of the month.