Safeguarding the Education Rights of Children and Youth in Ontario

1. Safeguarding the Education Rights of Children and Youth in Ontario

2. Child Advocacy Project (CAP) Free legal service that helps safeguard education rights and remedy education problems with a legal basis.

3. What We Believe • Children have fundamental education rights. • In Ontario, these rights are covered by the Education Act, which is partly based on human rights law. • When schools make decisions that negatively affect these rights, a child’s education can be set back for a long time.

4. Who We Are • A legal clinic for children called Justice for Children and Youth (JFCY) • An association of lawyers called The Advocates’ Society • My organization, called Pro Bono Law Ontario (PBLO)

5. Why the Program Started • Back in 2002, the legal clinic started getting more calls from families about problems at school • More and more kids with disabilities and other special needs were being suspended and not getting the help they needed.

6. What CAP Lawyers Do • Support children and their families when they feel shut out by schools • Provide free legal services to students experiencing problems at school that have a legal basis • Make sure decisions are made fairly

7. Examples of school problems • When schools make it hard for children to receive special education supports • When children are suspended, expelled or excluded unfairly • When schools don’t let children enroll in school • When schools do nothing if a child is bullied or harassed

8. Overlapping Problems • Sometimes more than one problem happens at the same time, for example: • If students with learning or other special needs do not receive adequate supports, they are more likely to have behaviours that lead to discipline. • Many children who are disciplined have other problems that are being ignored.

9. However the law is clear: • Schools must consider the following before deciding whether to suspend or expel a student: • Student does not have the ability to control behaviour • Student cannot understand foreseeable consequences of behaviour • Student’s continued presence in school does not create unacceptable risk to safety or well-being of any person • As of Feb. 1 08: Other factors (bullying, student age, history at school, disability or exceptionality) • Also: tighter rules in place re. suspensions, expulsions

10. Excluding Children • Schools sometimes exclude children rather than suspend, especially children they decide is a “safety risk” • It is the principal’s duty to refuse to admit to the school or classroom a person believed to be a threat to the wellbeing of students • However, as of Feb. 1 08: school can no longer exclude students enrolled in school

11. What kind of legal services do CAP volunteers provide? • Help students and families/guardians understand their legal rights and obligations under the Education Act • Communicate with schools by phone, letter or in person to help remedy problems or negotiate solutions • Represent students at discipline hearings, meetings and tribunals

12. Why lawyers? It’s not always obvious, but many school problems are legal problems. Lawyers are effective because: • They are trained in education law and legal strategy • They have no personal relationship with the student/family and can be impartial advocate • School boards have lawyers representing them, so this levels the playing field • Their involvement commands attention • They can help parents/guardians learn to be effective advocates for their kids

13. How does CAP work? • Eligibility criteria: • Financial—program designed for low and moderate-income families • Income can surpass Legal Aid guidelines • Legal merit—must be a situation that the law can remedy

14. How does CAP work? • Procedure: • Parent, guardian, or student contacts CAP office to discuss case • If likelihood of legal merit, application form submitted • If financial eligibility confirmed, CAP staff forward application to prospective volunteers • Time to match volunteers with clients: days or weeks, depending on volunteer availability

15. Success of Child Advocacy Project: • Cases are successful nearly 100% of the time • Success depends on client cooperation (keeping appointments with lawyer, providing lawyer with necessary information) • Education cases occasionally resolved with just the mention of legal counsel

16. Advocacy Tipsfor Parents/Guardians 1. Know your child’s rights: • Get to know the policies/rules of your school board • Learn about what rights children have when suspended or expelled (like the right to homework or alternate program) 2. Write everything down: • all important meetings/conversations with the school in the order they happen • all names and regulations that school staff mention

17. 3. Hold school administrators to the rules: • With discipline decisions, demand to see proper paperwork and check that it follows board policies • Hold principal to Board timeframes for IPRC meetings and other special-needs requests. • Put all requests in writing and keep copy.

18. 4. Find out who’s representing the school: • Before any meeting, ask for the names of people (like doctors or psychologists, special education consultants, school administrators, lawyers) who will be there to represent the school

19. 5. Take notes and commit to nothing: • In important meetings, take notes, make no commitments and sign nothing. Consider bringing a friend or advocate as a witness to a meeting, and be sure to request an interpreter if you are not comfortable expressing yourself in English. • Take time to discuss anything proposed by the school with your own professionals and supporters—a more balanced discussion of your child’s needs will lead to better results

20. 6. Remind the school of your right to “informed consent” • You have the right to make important health decisions, especially regarding medication—as your child’s legal guardian. 7.Stay calm and professional. • Give the school no excuse to punish your child!

21. 8. When you think you have a legal issue at school, call the Child Advocacy Project: 416-977-4448 x226 or 1-866-466-7256 or visit www.childadvocacy.ca.