Action on Violence in Schools
Presently, there are two pieces of federal legislation moving through the House of Commons (Bill C-273) and the Senate (Bill S-251) that repeal Section 43 of the Criminal Code of Canada, which states that:
Every schoolteacher, parent or person standing in the place of a parent is justified in using force by way of correction toward a pupil or child, as the case may be, who is under his care, if the force does not exceed what is reasonable under the circumstances.
If Section 43 is repealed without any other amendments to the Criminal Code that allow educators to intervene physically when necessary to protect students and, in some cases, themselves, educators will not be able to help ensure schools are safe.