Q&A: Zero tolerance policies: Effective or disruptive? CrossCurrents Autumn 2004
CrossCurrents
by Abigail Pugh
This Q&A is based on an interview with Bruce Cameron, who is the central co-ordinating principal for school services at the
Toronto District Public School Board. He is responsible for safe schools and alternative programs.
What is "zero tolerance"? How is it applied in Ontario?
The term "zero tolerance" mandates prescribed responses to certain behaviours in schools. The term is not used in the Ontario
Education Act, but it is used in school board policy. In terms of Ontario schools, "zero tolerance" is actually a misnomer.
We certainly don't tolerate certain behaviours, but we do respond to them in ways that give students opportunities to learn
and grow.
Recent revisions to the Education Act, referred to as the 2001 Safe Schools Act, require teachers and administrators to crack
down on crime -- this legislation is certainly more prescriptive than previously. It was pitched as a "get tough" approach.
"Zero tolerance" is often a phrase that goes with these policies. But embedded in the legislation are mitigating factors,
which do give principals discretion in dealing with the behaviour. One can't have mitigating factors and true zero tolerance.
But the term has stuck, which is problematic.
What is the main criticism of strict zero tolerance policies?
True zero tolerance policies have no discretion. This black and white approach doesn't take into account the context or needs
of the student. If you simply punish a student who may be under the influence of drugs, you aren't getting at the cause of
the problem. Discipline is different than punishment; it includes teaching, improvement and correction. When you're dealing
with children and young adults you provide opportunities to learn and grow. But the legislation is more prescriptive - it
uses almost criminal code-type language. In previous legislation a student could be suspended from school for one of about
five things, for example, conduct injurious to the well-being of self and others. The newer legislation allows some discretionary
suspensions including this terminology, but the Education Act has made suspension mandatory for other offences, such as swearing
at a teacher and physical assault.
What are "safe schools"? And what role does discipline play?
"Safe schools" is a broad term, meaning providing safe, happy and caring school environments for students. Kids being safe
is a prerequisite for effective schools; in order to learn, kids need a place free from violence and harassment. We take a
broad and encompassing prevention-based approach. Safe schools intersects with matters of security, health, safety and personal
social skills development - building character and solving conflicts peacefully.
How are substance use problems dealt with under the Safe Schools Act?
Trafficking and being in possession of drugs mean possible expulsion; but that isn't always exactly what happens. Even students
who've received a full expulsion can return to school under certain programs. So while the legislation is more prescriptive,
our approach is to consider mitigating factors. Even when there is a mandatory consequence for something like possessing alcohol
or illegal drugs or trafficking and giving alcohol to a minor, there may be circumstances that mitigate the consequences.
We try to look for ways to help students deal with those circumstances.
Recently, I dealt with a case where a student assaulted others with a weapon in school, but it turned out he had a drug problem
and was under the influence at the time of the incident. Disciplinary action was required, but we also included support and
assistance addressing the student's substance abuse. We have begun to understand that if we can deal with this underlying
issue, the violence won't happen. So our disciplinary response was made in a way that considered the student's circumstances
and enabled him to deal with the underlying causes of his problem and ultimately provided him with a way to get back to school
successfully.
Rather than using a punitive approach to substance use, we try to deal with it through health-related aspects of the curriculum
and partnerships with community-based organizations such as the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health here in Toronto. Our
practice is to incorporate a therapeutic response to a problem behaviour, but the reality is that the school board doesn't
have those specific resources. We refer to community-based programs, but they often have very long waiting lists.
What is done to minimize the disruption to the education of students who have been expelled?
Students who have been fully expelled cannot attend a publicly funded school in Ontario until they meet the requirements for
return established by a "Strict Discipline School Program for Expelled Students." These provincially-funded programs are treatment
based. The two in Toronto are in partnership with two adolescent mental health agencies. They bring together education, social
services and mental health and substance use professionals. Programs are also available for students on a limited expulsion,
which can be up to one year, but there is currently no legislative requirement to provide them for these students. However,
in the past three years, we have gone from no programs to three main sites and six satellite sites to support these students.
Most of the students who have attended these programs in the past three years have either graduated from high school and continued
further or have returned successfully to a community school to continue their education. A few students have other very serious
needs, which are dealt with in partnership with other medical and mental health professionals. The focus is on continuing
to provide education and help students understand and deal with the causes of the behaviours that got them expelled.
Centre for Addiction
