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Schools’ zero-tolerance policy ’shortsighted,’ Miller says

Mr. Miller told reporters this week that the zero-tolerance Safe Schools Act in both public and Catholic schools, under which students are immediately expelled or suspended for violent acts, will be looked at as part of the broader issue of community safety.

“I have spoken out on a number of occasions on the zero-tolerance policy. It’s counterproductive,” Mr. Miller said.

Miller points out that these policies throw out the students who need the most help and are “astonishingly shortsighted”. The Safe Schools Act is a national zero tolerance policy requiring expulsion for certain violent offenses but even at its worst it does allow some discretion at the local level.

The chairs of the Toronto Catholic District School Board and the Toronto District School Board — Oliver Carroll and Sheila Ward respectively — will sit on the mayor’s advisory panel on community safety.
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Ms. Ward said she hopes the mayor’s panel will help in coming up with new strategies to deal with kids who are having difficulties.
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Mr. Carroll also believes more support mechanisms are needed instead of just shutting students out of schools.

“When you put somebody out of the school system, you kind of have abandoned them.

“On the other hand, children in the system are entitled to study in a safe environment too,” Mr. Carroll added.

Mayor Miller is looking for that balance point between a safe environment and discipline for violent offenses. There is one and it’s not too hard to get to when you use a bit of common sense.