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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2000-05-10, Page 22-7/15 HURON LIPOSEITOR, May 10, 2000 News Conduct code heavy-handed says school board official lar Sum Hundsrtmark_ Expositor Staff - The province's new' code of Conduct. aimed•at making Ontario schools safer will do nothing to improve the already satisfactory climate of discipline at public and Catholic _schiaols across Huron •and Perth Counties., say Ideal board officials. • And. if implemented, hie code will he very costly for school boards, they say. "What the province is proposing is not all that different from what -we're-- doing now.". says_ Avon Maitland District School Board chair - Wendy Anderson. But, she adds that 'giving teachers the_ power to suspend students and principals the power to expel them will create more Legal costs, salary costs and transportation costs. ' • The new code, which will be• introduced to the provincial legislature this spring. proposes giving principals the right to expel students and teachers. the right. • to susPend- them. Currently. only principals, can Suspend - students and only school- boards. can • expel them: _ -The new code proposes creating a "strict discipline schooling program : for suspended and expelled students. • • It also proposes giving a majority of parents at .any school authority. to 'require a dress code;or uniform this•. September. will require the daily singing of O. Canada and reciting of a- . pledge of citizenship by students. Neither the.local public or Catholic ' • board has ever had to expel a student. " say.bothi Anderson and. Huron -Perth . District Catholic School Board director Gaeten Blanchette. • . - "We have -7'c expelled. anyone in, .recent memo says Avon Maitland education director Lorne Rachlis. Rachlis says the new code is ' "extremely -heavy-handed so far and could cause more problems than it. solves." He questions setting up "something that .sounds like a hard discipline boot camp" for suspended- and expelled : students and worriesthat the new code • is leading into "a more confrontational. way of dealing with kids." • Rachlis says 'the third. party of the •principal.in the case of suspensions ,and :the board in the case of expulsions, is a - -"necessary safety valve part of the checks and balances already in place." .Rachiis :adds - that the .proposed pledge ofcitizenship "sounds very - American." "On ' .. the : surface it looks good but I question the value of. reciting something that can. • become meaningless in • the repetition. You can't make kids sing or recite - you Gould have a -whole new set of discipline problems to deal with it they don't," he says. `Blanchette says he's happy with the way- suspensions happen now through principals. - - • "I like the' feature of the third party. the principal. taking a look at the. situation ,from -another set" of eyes in'an objective .way." he says. - • Blanchette says. the code's focus seems to be on --coerced discipline when, he says he believes self discipline is the schooling program for expelled students will .also he costly. especially for.rural si:hoois. says .Anderson "We wont he -able :to ,offer one .at every 'school so where fn a. rural board do you locate t End how do we Atet the students there she says. r' Director of Education Lorne Rachlis he says. . Of the proposed pledge of citizenship, Blanchette .asks,. "Can you mandate nationalism'"" ' Anderson, who attended a meeting.on the new code by the .education pmgram' advisory program of the Ontario. Puhlic School Trustees ,association on Friday. say! the province should think about whether it ts.trying io punish students or rehabi iitate, them. 'Everything is not .hlack and white. What about the case of a young student .:who )dings his father's hunting knife to school..because he's proud of -his father or a student who comes from a family. where-pmtane language - standard and doesn't know s unacceptable Should they be suspended :'', she . asks. aiidiftg thatthe new code seems_ toprovide les, tlexibility for school staff.. - The "cuter of conflict• that are already to place tri- nniario - schools hive'high levels of `parent s ttzl'action. with survey: :lt0Wtne 85 to 97 per cent of parents pleased with them. she says. • I have never had one call as trustee- from parents complaining ahtlut the schools- codes ,>t'- ctinduc'.- says'• Anderson. She says',e-'honls wif na:ed additional staff to give. leachers time out. of the. classroom .to 'iny.c'ugu(.. dei • the ;paperwork arid meet with parents if they are giventhe right to suspend student!;. . The .proposed strict dfseipline, Sdiool board chair Wendy Anderson only kind that, works.. - He adds that hehasn't seen any infortnation-on an appeal process. which would allow parents and students to fight the suspensions or expulsions. in the new code. • "Let's hope thereis due process available - that is part of Canadian -law." ,' Principal sees more value in programs dealing with conflict resolution From Page 1 government that has done. as much toviltity and demonize teahers as this government. For the last four or five years. - it's been calling teachers lazy and saying theydont work hard enough and other such nonsense. I wonder why there would be an: air of.. disrespect'' he says. Moore . says school uniforms and a: pledge. of cifizenshipi which are -also - proposed in the new ccide of conduct, are the `'trappings of . discipline" but he adds that he's never •seen a study. that*. proves either one improves school disciplineor enhances. the learning environment. "The oath of allegiance looks good politically •and l could -go either'way on the; uniforms -there are good •arguments both for and against them." he 'as. Seaforth Public School principal Lorne Rideout says that. the consultation. between principal. teacher and. parent: that happens now before a .suspension is_ a process that - already works well "Suspensions are s well - thought out process. not a reaction. The-danger:10f the. teacher having the right to suspend students) is that it become§ : a reaction` ot, frustration by the teacher who could be totally fed up on the spur of the moment." says Rideout. "The principal is removed from the situation and can -deal with it.rn a more rational manner." he adds: •• • • Rideout also -questions -th.e value of suspensions as a discipline tool. He says that., in his experience. repeat. suspensions might serve as an . example for other students but do little to improve the 'behaviour of the student who • is suspended: Rideout sees a lot more value inexisting prograrps. such as 'the Second Step program; which help students learn about conflict resolution sail social: skills .and actually help them' change -their behavior. - And. while the province is proposing hard discipline schoolingprograms for suspended and expelled Hope remains law will from Pogo t received a letter from the Huron County detachment ot the Ontario Provincial Police warning firefighters that the annual toll roads are prevented by the new Taws. • • But community services officer Don Shrupshall told The Expositor; OPP will -only be enforcing•the act if a motorist complains. ' • Simpson. said firefighters in Coldstream. near London; already held one toll road on the Easter weekend without complaint. "The •OPP went 'through and. gave them some money." she said, adding most people are supportive of the event. She said MDA members are •keeping their fingers crossed more fire 'departments will continue with the toll roads. hoping there will be no public complaints. Tom Phillips, Deputy Chief of Seaforth's fire department. said. "It's a ectal downer if we're shut daunt on this." Locally, he, said the department raises about i;laOtTal�ts tolt.road.• The toll road is' set up at the traffic, lights and Phillips said firefighters are careful. not to interfere with traffic. They only: solicit donations when the traffic light is red but Phillips said" fire departments have .been doing it for so long now that drivers know' what the firefighters are doing.and stop to. give donations anyway. ----Because-it's a -provincial law. Seaforth administrator Jack McLachlan said there's nothing the town can do to override the province and legally permit Seaforth'' toll road to Operate. The MDA has been working with the Ministry of the Attorney General since last November. when the MDA first learned of the potential affects of the squeegee law. Simpson said they were assured the intent of the law was not to stop fund raising students. Rideout savti that molt schools do not have enough staff to provide them. He addsthat suspensions create a "tremendous amount: of paperwork.—something; .l teachers do 'not have time for Rideout says - he's worried. that the rules -of the ccide will- he.too. rigid when "there'sa 'lot of .grey in ,the world. not much black and white." He says the strictness of the • code may cause students to be -suspended when _they had no intention to harm anyone. For •example. neither a student • who brings a jackknife to school after a r.;ainping trip or a small child who doesn't understand the consequences of bringing a jackknife for show and tell. -hos any _intention to hurt anyone: . ,"The expression. ' I' 11 kill' you.' is very over -used on the playground but is it justice tit; suspendthat.basis'"•he • asks. 'Rideout adds that school councils already have the power. without the new code. o implement school uniforms - if a majority of parents agree. be changed efforts like" that of .tire departments and they are still, working together to try and reach_a._stziuuon that would allow the toll roads to continue. • .:Wilbee said the Seaforth department still has a few months before its toll road and is. waiting for developments to occur between the MDA and Ministry of the Attorney General. He said the department hasn't 'sat down yet to discuss what will happen in • September'if it can't operate its toll road "if the law does stand up. we're going to have to come up with different ways of getting 'donations," Wilbee said. Philips said the toll road is the most effective means the department has had for raising MDA funds. "It's a very good cause. One we definitely believe in. it's disheartening to think we may lose that fund raiser," he said. Vit. )umcs . School principal Larry tilurra'v sass the: "tore clearly' : , • defined consequences ' :n the new code lake away .t principal", -or-teacher's ability to• "bark •.at .a child's: profile and ,tti'es. which u)nscglicnces are appropriate for that particular chtid." , • Murray jays the school 'current code of conduct works^very well. "Discipiziie is noi_a•bilt issue .t niis schtful. 1t small schools' We know cur kid. and parents very well. 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