BILL NO. 30

(as introduced)

4th Session, 61st General Assembly
Nova Scotia
61 Elizabeth II, 2012

Government Bill

Promotion of Respectful and Responsible Relationships Act

The Honourable Ramona Jennex
Minister of Education

First Reading: April 18, 2012

(Explanatory Note)

Second Reading: April 30, 2012

Third Reading: May 11, 2012 (WITH COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS) (LINK TO BILL AS PASSED)

This Bill amends the Education Act to address issues related to disruptive or seriously disruptive behaviour engaged in by students.

1 This Act may be cited as the Promotion of Respectful and Responsible Relationships Act.

2 The Preamble to Chapter 1 of the Acts of 1995-96, the Education Act, is amended by adding immediately after the fourth paragraph the following paragraphs:

AND WHEREAS students, parents, teachers, support staff, principals and school boards share responsibility for creating a school-wide approach to maintaining a positive and inclusive school climate where everyone has a role to play in the awareness and prevention of disruptive and severely disruptive behaviour--including bullying and cyberbullying--and where all students are supported to develop healthy relationships, make good choices, continue their learning and achieve success;

AND WHEREAS an orderly and safe learning environment where all students feel respected and accepted is a necessary condition for student success;

3 (1) Clause 64(2)(r) of Chapter 1 is amended by

(a) striking out "student-discipline" in first line and substituting "school code of conduct"; and

(b) striking out "discipline" in the second line and substituting "school code of conduct".

(2) Subsection 64(2) of Chapter 1, as amended by Chapter 5 of the Acts of 2002, Chapter 16 of the Acts of 2005 and Chapter 54 of the Acts of 2008, is further amended by adding immediately after clause (r) the following clauses:

(ra) collect and monitor data on severely disruptive behaviour of students, as required by the Minister, including the interventions or consequences resulting from incidents of severely disruptive behaviour on the basis of individual incidents and on an aggregate basis;

(rb) report to the Minister at such times and in such manner and form as required by the Minister respecting the aggregate data on severely disruptive behaviour of students;

4 Section 121 of Chapter 1 is amended by striking out "is persistently disobedient or defiant" in the first and second lines and substituting "engages in disruptive behaviour or severely disruptive behaviour".

5 Section 122 of Chapter 1 is amended by striking out "is persistently disobedient or defiant" in the first and second lines and substituting "engages in disruptive behaviour or severely disruptive behaviour".

6 Section 141 of Chapter 1, as amended by Chapter 50 of the Acts of 2010 and Chapter 57 of the Acts of 2011, is further amended by adding immediately after clause (j) the following clause:

(ja) establish a Provincial school code of conduct policy with respect to promoting school and student safety that includes a Provincial school code of conduct and provisions regarding student conduct and consequences for disruptive behaviours and severely disruptive behaviours, including incidents of bullying and cyberbullying;

7 Subsection 145(1) of Chapter 1, as amended by Chapter 5 of the Acts of 2002, Chapter 15 of the Acts of 2007, Chapter 54 of the Acts of 2008, Chapter 13 of the Acts of 2010 and Chapter 57 of the Acts of 2011, is further amended by

(a) striking out clause (h) and substituting the following clause:

(h) providing for a framework for use by school boards in establishing regional school code of conduct policies;

and

(b) adding immediately after clause (p) the following clauses:

(pa) defining "disruptive behaviour" for the purpose of Sections 121 and 122 and clause 141(ja);

(pb) defining "severely disruptive behaviour" for the purpose of clauses 64(2)(ra) and (rb), Sections 121 and 122 and clause 141(ja);

(pc) defining "bullying" and "cyberbullying" for the purpose of clause 141(ja);