The Vancouver School Board is committed to a district code of conduct that upholds safe, inclusive, equitable, welcoming, nurturing and healthy school environments. 

To this end, the district code of conduct promotes clear behavioural expectations of respectful and responsible citizenship that lead to a culture of safety, caring and respect amongst everyone in our schools and programs and at all school-events and activities.

Section 11 of the School Act gives parents the right to appeal certain decisions made by Board employees. The right of appeal applies to decisions which significantly affect the health, education, or welfare of a student. While the determination of whether a decision or failure to make a decision ‘significantly’ affects a student’s education, health or safety is made on a case-by-case basis, the following decisions are always appealable under the formal appeal process:

• Disciplinary suspension of more than five consecutive instructional days;
• The transfer of a student from one school to another for disciplinary reasons;
• The exclusion of a student from school for a health condition;
• Significant decisions regarding placement in an educational program (classroom or teacher preference issues would be included in this level only in exceptional circumstances);
• Grade promotion or graduation; and
• Refusal to offer an education program to a non-graduated student 16 years of age or older.

The procedures for filing a Section 11 Appeal are outlined in Board bylaw 2(i) and available at Appeal Guide.