St. David Catholic Secondary School - Uniform Policy (2001 - 2002)

2002)

As with the other secondary schools in the Waterloo Catholic District School Board, St. David requires all students to wear a uniform every day, except for the occasional dress-down day (known to staff and students as "Civies Day"). During the 2001 - 2002 school year, this policy required all students to have golf and dress shirts tucked into their pants at all times, on the basis that untucked shirts did not convey the proper sense of respect for the school.

During the last two weeks of June 2002, the administration of St. David made a public announcement that any student in violation of the uniform rules would be suspended for one day. In Ontario, any disciplinary action of this type is listed on an Ontario student record, which may adversely affect a student's chances of acceptance to post-secondary education. Ontario student records also are investigated by teachers when reviewing students enrolled for classes, and by staff at other schools in the event a student applies for a transfer.

No prior violations of the rules were taken into account with this policy. Suspension, as a punishment, is typically given for much more serious academic and criminal offences. However, the provincial Safe Schools Act allows discretionary one-day suspensions for minor infractions of school policies and procedures. These suspensions cannot be formally challenged, as the Safe Schools Act does not allow for appeals of one day suspensions. Nevertheless, the consequence would add to a student's record, causing any subsequent offenses within five years to be judged more harshly.

The "tucked-in shirt" rule, though, was short-lived as at the beginning of the 2002 - 2003 school year, the policy was revised to eliminate the requirement of golf shirts being tucked in.