Rise in school violence leads N.S. to update code of conduct

The Nova Scotia government has released an updated code of conduct for students in response to a spike in school violence.

Education Minister Brendan Maguire says the code sets clear and consistent direction in the education system and also details consequences for those who violate the rules.

For years, teachers' unions have called on the province to update its code of conduct, and last year the auditor general reported that training and prevention measures have failed to keep pace with the jump in violent behaviour in schools.

Auditor General Kim Adair said there had been a 60 per cent increase in reported school violence since 2017 and that staff had said they felt unprepared to deal with the concerning trend.

Included in the revised code of conduct, scheduled to go into effect in September, are stronger definitions of unacceptable behaviour, such as racism, bullying and cyberbullying, sexual assault and physical violence.

The province has also created guidelines for teachers and administrators that list disciplinary measures for a variety of offences.

As well, all school network employees will have a duty to report incidents to the Education Department, which will track the data.