The New Westminster school district is considering a revision of its code of conduct policy for all employees, students, parents and volunteers in local schools.
Trustees voted at Tuesday's school district committee meeting to forward the revised draft code of conduct policy to the board of education. The policy includes a checklist to ensure that codes of conduct are being met in local school districts. The code of conduct is mandated by the provincial government and contains extensive input on appropriate behaviour.
Trustees unanimously passed the motion to revise the conduct policy, with one exception. Trustee Michael Ewen made an amendment to change a portion of the draft that addressed bullying.
The wording from the Ministry of Education document referred to "repeated" bullying over time. Ewen wanted to have the word repeated taken out.
"Because I don't think that bullying has to be repeated," he said. "I don't think you get a freebie."
Board of education chair James Janzen and trustees David Phelan and Jonina Campbell voted in favour of Ewen's amendment. Trustees Casey Cook, Lisa Graham and MaryAnn Mortensen voted against it.
"There was some discussion about whether that was acceptable to the ministry of not. Everybody spoke in favour of it, but three trustees voted against the amendment," Ewen said.
www.twitter.com/nikimhope
