From Zero Tolerance to a Culture of Care

Zero tolerance policies stem from the culture of fear that pervades many schools today--fear of violence, bullying, and unruly behaviour. The code of conduct is clearly spelled out and if students disobey, the retribution is swift--usually suspension or expulsion. The rules are designed to apply equally to everyone, irrespective of age, gender, cultural background, personal characteristics, parental influence, or school experiences. Under the guise of "equity," zero tolerance policies are, in fact, inequitable, inhospitable and discriminatory. They contravene what they hold dear as educators and as a society. Further, they are ineffective on a number of fronts. The author of this article finds the concept of zero tolerance oddly out of place in a public school system and jarring to her sensibilities as an educator. She stresses that it is much more suited to the culture from which it came--the U.S. military, where conformity and control are paramount. Teachers recognize that children come from various cultures and backgrounds, with different parental and community influences, that each classroom of students has its own unique characteristics, and that these are to be appreciated, not squeezed into a common mould. Zero tolerance policies do the opposite; they fail to recognize individual differences and the context in which behaviour occurs. (Contains 5 notes.)