Skip to main content

Administrative Procedure 141: Equity and Inclusive Education

Legal References: Education Act

Section 264 Duties of Teachers; Education Act: Section 265 Duties of Principal; Part XIII - Behaviour, Discipline and Safety; R.R.O. Reg. 298: Section 20 Duties of Teachers; R.R.O. Reg. 298: Section 23 Requirements for Pupils; Ministry of Education Guideline - Ontario Schools Code of Conduct; Criminal Code of Canada; Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms; Ontario Human Rights Code; Equity and Inclusive Education in Ontario Schools: Guidelines for Policy Development and Implementation; Ontario’s Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy; Ministry of Education Policy/Program Memorandum 119 Developing and Implementing Equity and Inclusive Education Policies in Ontario Schools

Related References

Administrative Procedure (AP) 138 Positive Workplace Environment; AP 351 Code of Conduct; AP 352 Promoting Positive Student Behaviour; AP 421 Staff Development

1. Commitment to Equity and Inclusivity

1.1 The Director of Education has been delegated responsibility by the members of the board to ensure that commitment to equity and inclusivity shall permeate all aspects of the district’s education and employment procedures, guidelines, programs and proceedings.

1.2 Staff of the Avon Maitland District School Board will uphold the principles of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Constitution Act, 1982 and confirmed in the Ontario Human Rights Code. Staff is also committed to the elimination of all types of discrimination as outlined in Ontario’s Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy (the “Strategy”) and the Ontario Ministry of Education (the “Ministry”) Policy/Program Memorandum No. 119.

2. Areas of Focus

2.1 Priorities for staff will be:
 
      • to serve staff, students, and families in diverse communities by incorporating the principles of equity and inclusive education, consistent with the principles of the
        Human Rights Code, into all aspects of our operations, structures, policies, programs, procedures, guidelines, and practices;
      • to establish and maintain partnerships with diverse communities so that the perspectives and experiences of all students are recognized in order to help meet their needs;
      • to establish and maintain a collaborative relationship with diverse communities so that the perspectives and experiences of all students, families, and employees are recognized and addressed;
      • to implement an inclusive curriculum and to review resources, instruction, and assessment and evaluation practices in order to identify and address discriminatory biases so that each student may maximize their learning potential;
      • to acknowledge each individual’s right to follow or not to follow religious beliefs and practices, free from discriminatory or harassing behaviour, and to take all reasonable steps to provide religious accommodations to staff and students;
      • to commit to the principle that every person within the school community is entitled to a respectful, positive school climate and learning environment, free from all forms of discrimination and harassment;
      • to provide administrators, staff, students and other members of the school community with opportunities to acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviour needed to identify and eliminate discriminatory biases and systemic barriers under the Human Rights Code; and
      • to assess and monitor progress in implementing Ontario’s Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy, to embed the principles into all board policies, programs, guidelines and practices, and to communicate these results to the community.
 
Revised 2015