New student code of conduct coming in March, says N.S. education minister
Draft document will go through one more round of consultation before being enacted
Nova Scotians can be confident that a new student code of conduct for the public school system that's been in the works for more than a year will soon be ready, said the province's education minister Tuesday.
Brendan Maguire said the document will go for one final round of consultation with unions for teachers, administrators and support staff, along with groups that represent other partners in the education system, before being shared with students and families and put into action in March.
"Not everybody is going to be happy, obviously, but we want to make sure that everybody has been heard and felt like we were listening because these things don't work if we don't have buy-in and if people don't feel like their voice is heard and that there's consistency in the system," Maguire said in an interview.
Maguire's predecessor, Becky Druhan, ordered the review in October 2023 amid growing concerns about violence in schools and calls for change from teachers and support staff.
A report last June from the province's auditor general found that violence in classrooms was increasing, but "significant data collection weaknesses" made it impossible to fully measure.
Although a draft of the new code of conduct was expected to be ready last September, the government missed that deadline.
Under the new code, parents, students, teachers and staff will understand the consequences and remedies for various actions, regardless of what part of the province they live and work in, said Maguire.
It's his hope the code leads to more clarity, accountability and better outcomes in the classroom.
"There'll be a clearer direction for our teachers, our staff and our administrators on what they can and can't do," he said.
The auditor general's report last June found that reports from school staff about violent incidents increased by 60 per cent in the last seven years, going from 17,000 in 2016-17, to 27,000 in 2022-23.
Kim Adair's report called for a provincewide strategy to take on the problem and said the Education Department has lacked the necessary focus to prioritize the issue.
Majority of new safety-related staff in place
Maguire's department also provided an update this week on the hiring process for new staff announced in the fall.
In October, the province detailed plans to add 47 new staff members across the province to help address and prevent violence in classrooms.
An Education Department spokesperson said Monday that the majority of those positions have been filled and those that have not are posted for applicants. Maguire said it's a priority for regional centres for education and the department to fill outstanding vacancies.
It's too soon to say what effect the new hires will have, but the minister said progress will be monitored.
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