Page 13 - CARING and SAFE SCHOOLS in ONTARIO

✦ Safety is a precondition for learning.
✦ Every student is entitled to learn to the best of his or her ability.
✦ Every student is entitled to a safe and caring learning environment.
✦ Every student is entitled to learn in an environment free from harassment and violence.
✦ A quality education is about more than academic achievement – it is about the development of the whole person.
✦ The commitment to safe schools is a shared responsibility of government, school board trustees and administrators, principals, teachers, support staff, students, parents, police, and other community partners.
(Safe Schools Action Team, 2006, p. 5)
A Caring and Safe School Culture – What Does It Look Like?
▪ Building a caring and safe school culture begins with knowing what a caring and safe school culture looks like. A caring and safe school is a place where all partners – students, staff, parents, and community members – treat others fairly, with respect and kindness, and act in a socially responsible way towards all members of the school community, including students with special education needs. It is an inclusive community where diversity is affirmed within a framework of common values, and where all members participate in decision making and cooperate to promote the well-being of all. Such a community is characterized by:
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caring and cooperative relationships;
a framework of common values that includes: ✦
✧ respect for democratic values, rights, and responsibilities;
✧ respect for cultural diversity;
✧ respect for law and order;
✧ respect for individual differences;
clear and consistent behavioural expectations;
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appropriate and positive role modelling by staff and students. ✦
Equity: A condition or state of fair, inclusive, and respectful treatment of all people. Equity does not mean treating people the same without regard for individual differences. (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2009d, p. 4)
Inclusive education: Education that is based on the principles of acceptance and inclusion of all students. Students see themselves reflected in their curriculum, their physical surroundings, and the broader environment, in which diversity is honoured and all individuals are respected.
(Ontario Ministry of Education, 2009d, p. 4)
Promoting Positive Behaviour
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