Roles and Responsibilities
School boards provide direction to their schools to ensure opportunity, excellence and accountability in the education system. School boards must:
- develop policies that set out how their schools will implement and enforce the provincial code of conduct and all other rules that they develop as related to the provincial standards that promote and support respect, civility, responsible citizenship and physical safety
- seek input from school councils, Parent Involvement Committees, the Special Education Advisory committee, students, staff, parents or guardians, volunteers and the community
- review these policies regularly with students, staff, parents, volunteers and the community
- establish a process that clearly communicates the provincial code of conduct to all parents, students, staff and members of the school community to gain their commitment and support
- ensure an effective approach to intervene and respond to all violations that relate to the standards for respect, civility, responsible citizenship and physical safety
- provide opportunities for all staff to gain the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to develop and maintain academic excellence and safe learning and teaching environments.
Principals, under the direction of their school board, take a leadership role in the daily operation of a school.
They provide this leadership by:
- demonstrating care for the school community and commitment to academic excellence in a safe teaching and learning environment
- holding everyone under their authority responsible for their behaviour and actions
- empowering students to be positive leaders in their school and community
- communicating regularly and meaningfully with all members of their school community.
Teachers and school staff, under the leadership of their principals, help maintain order in the school and are expected to hold everyone to the highest standard of respectful and responsible behaviour. As role models, staff uphold these high standards when they:
- help students work to their full potential and develop their self-worth
- empower students to be positive leaders in their classroom, school and community
- communicate regularly with parents on important issues
- maintain consistent standards of behaviour for all students
- show respect for all students, staff, parents, volunteers and members of the school community
- prepare students for the full responsibilities of citizenship.
Students are to be treated with respect and dignity. In return, they must demonstrate respect for themselves, for others and for the responsibilities of citizenship through acceptable behaviour. Respect and responsibility are demonstrated when a student:
- comes to school prepared, on time and ready to learn
- shows respect for himself/herself, for others and for those in authority
- refrains from bringing anything to school that may put the safety of others at risk
- follows the established rules and takes responsibility for his/her own actions.
Parents play an important role in the education of their children and can support the efforts of school staff in maintaining a safe and respectful learning environment for all students. Parents fulfill this responsibility when they:
- show an active interest in their child's school work and progress
- communicate regularly with the school
- make sure their child is neat, properly dressed and prepared for school
- ensure that their child attends school regularly and on time
- inform the school promptly about their child's absence or late arrival
- become familiar with the provincial code of conduct, the board's code of conduct and school rules
- encourage and help their child follow the rules of behaviour
- help school staff deal with disciplinary issues involving their child.
Community partners and the police
Partnerships already in place may be enhanced and new partnerships with community agencies and members of the community may also be created. Community agencies are resources that school boards can use to deliver prevention or intervention programs. Community members need to support and respect the rules of their local schools.
The police play an essential role in making our schools and communities safer. Police investigate incidents in accordance with the protocol developed with the local school board. These protocols are based on a provincial model developed by the now Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services and the Ministry of Education.
Visit www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/safeschools/ to learn more about Ontario’s new approach to making schools safer.
