POLICE ASSOCIATION OF NOVA SCOTIA 155 director of public schools, said the goal is not to second-guess principals' discipline decisions but to develop more training and support for schools. "We have to systemically look at programs. Right now, much of that has been left to individual schools. The anecdotal reporting on those is that they've had some positive impact. Let's look at spreading that." Government officials and school board administrators have differing opinions on the level of violence in Nova Scotia schools and whether it's changed. Fred MacLean, programs and student services director for the Valley board, said problems have increased over time. "Things seem to be getting more violent. Behaviours we'd not seen 10 years ago are now commonplace, (profane) language, for example." Mr. Benedict said it's the awareness that's grown. "Bullying, for example, has gotten a lot more attention," said the Chignecto-Central official. "I don't think we have more bullying. I think we probably have less." Mr. Sweeney said he, too, doesn't think fighting and bullying happen more. "What we may be getting, the individual incidents, they may be more severe," he said. "They've also become more public than they were before and they may be different." Mr. Sweeney said starting next year, suspension data may give a clearer picture of what's happening in the province's 450 schools. Tess Warner, who graduated from Windsor Regional High School last June, hopes the code of conduct changes the way schools handle discipline. The 18-year-old said schools suspend too much for trivial things. What principals should do, she said, is put more energy into tackling more serious but subtle forms of violence such as harassment and bullying. "I think the schools need to look at more serious problems," said the first-year arts student at Acadia University. "They should focus on people who have done way worse things than getting in a car and having a cigarette." Ms. Warner, who wants to be a teacher, was kicked out for doing just that between classes one stormy day in December 2000. She received a one-day suspension, her first and only, for violating tougher new smoking rules introduced that fall. The rules, which mirror Valley board policy, limit student smoking to designated areas outside school. Windsor Regional principal Phil VanZoost acknowledged an automatic smoking suspension may sound harsh but it works. "Overall, most people understand, 'If I get caught, that's it.' So they don't try it," he said. "This is the punishment and we're not going to go through a long procedure to try to get you to understand that no, you cannot smoke outside of that area." Mr. MacLean said all Valley high schools have smoking areas to discourage smoking and help keep students safe. It's easier for staff to supervise students gathered in one area, he said. "Atlantic Canada's largest newspaper" As originally published on www.herald.ns.ca
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