Reporting Requirements for Staff
What Must Be Reported to the Principal?
* The new legislation requires all board employees to report to the principal if they become aware that a student may have engaged in an activity for which the student must be considered for suspension or expulsion. The phrase “become aware” means that employees do not have to observe the behaviour or activity in question.
To meet this requirement, all employees must, of course, know the activities which may lead to suspension or expulsion. The activities outlined by the Ministry of Education that would lead to suspension include:
* Uttering a threat to inflict serious bodily harm on another person.
* Possessing alcohol or illegal drugs.
* Being under the influence of alcohol.
* Swearing at a teacher or at another person in a position of authority.
* Committing an act of vandalism that causes extensive damage to school property at the pupil’s school or to property located on the premises of the pupil’s school.
* Bullying.
* And any other activity that is an activity for which a principal may suspend a pupil under a policy of the board.
All of these activities must be reported to the principal whether they occur while at school, at a school-related activity or in circumstances where the activity will have a negative impact on school climate.
Activities outlined by the Ministry of Education that would lead to suspension, pending possible expulsion include:
* Possessing a weapon, including possessing a firearm.
* Using a weapon to cause or to threaten bodily harm to another person.
* Committing physical assault on another person that causes bodily harm requiring treatment by a medical practitioner.
* Committing sexual assault.
* Trafficking in weapons or in illegal drugs.
* Committing robbery.
* Giving alcohol to a minor.
* Or any other activity, under a policy of a board, for which a principal must suspend a pupil and conduct an investigation to determine whether to recommend to the board that the pupil be expelled.
Note that in both cases the Ministry leaves room for “local input”. It is important, therefore, that employees check their own board’s policies in these matters.
Let’s look at a scenario depicting an incident that requires a report to the principal.
Teacher
Okay. Your fractions test is next Tuesday - units two and three. So make sure that you review your math journals, and practice as much as you can before then. Okay? Any questions?
Thank you Daron, the newsletters. Okay, you need to make sure that you guys get one of these before you leave.
Okay, class is dismissed. See you all tomorrow.
Daron
My wallet was here before I went to pick up the newsletters from the office.
Teacher
Are you sure?
Daron
It was right in this pocket with my calculator.
Teacher
Hold it everyone! Please return to your seats.
Class, it appears as though someone has taken Daron’s wallet from his backpack. It was there five minutes ago. Let me remind you that theft of property is a serious offence and is not a part of our school culture.
I’m telling you, three witnesses later, I finally got to the bottom of it. I must have been a detective in my other life.
Colleague
Well, did you report the incident to a principal?
Teacher
No. I handled it on my own.
Colleague
Oh, you weren’t at the last staff meeting. Under the new safe school rule, you have to report any incident that can result in a student being suspended or expelled so that the principal can investigate. You better check it out.
Teacher
Okay. Thank you.
That was also a nice illustration of how we can help each other as we adjust to these new requirements.
The next question is who must report?
All board employees, including teaching and non-teaching staff, must report these incidents to the principal. Bus drivers are also required to report.
Boards may also put policies in place to require other non-board employees who come into direct contact with pupils on a regular basis, to report such incidents.
What is the Reporting Process?
* When reporting, board employees must:
+ consider the safety of others and the urgency of the situation in reporting the incident no later than the end of the school day
+ confirm all reports to the principal in writing using the Safe Schools Incident Reporting Form Part I
As you can see the form has been designed to be comprehensive – yet simple and quick.
