Learners Code of Conduct

General Rules
Religious or Cultural Rights
Offences
Descipline Measures
A. General Principles
  1. Learners are expected at all times to behave in a courteous and considerate manner toward each other, the Learner Representative Council (LRC), all members of staff and visitors to the school.
  2. Learners are expected to abide by the School rules with regard to appearance and behaviour when representing the school both during school hours and after school hours, at school and away from school. Learners may not say or do anything that will discredit themselves or the school.
  3. No learner has the right at any time to behave in a manner that will disrupt the learning activity of other learners, or will cause another learner physical or emotional harm.
  4. The school will contact parents/guardians when a learner’s behaviour become a cause of concern and will endeavour, in a spirit of constructive partnership, to resolve the problem.
B. School and Class Attendance

Parents/guardians, learners, teachers and School Governing Body (SGB) members are jointly responsible for ensuring that all learners attend school.

    If a learners does not attend school regularly, the relevant register teacher will report the absence of the learner to the parent and the parent and the principal in writing. The register teacher must keep an accurate register of learner attendance and must keep copies of all communication to parents when absence from the classroom is reported.
  1. All learners are to arrive at school before the official starting time. Learners who are late for school will be marked absent as registers are completed at the beginning of each school day.
  2. Absence from a class, without the permission of the relevant register or subject teacher, is prohibited.
  3. Any absence from school must be covered by an absentee note from a parent/guardian.
  4. Should a learner be absent from school for a period of three (3) days or longer this leave of absence must be supported by a letter from a medical doctor/traditional doctor/registered herbalist.
  5. Any absence from a formal examination, test or task must be supported by a letter from a medical doctor/traditional doctor/registered herbalist.
  6. No learner may leave the school during school hours without a letter from a parent/guardian requesting the release of their child and the permission of the Principal/Deputy Principal/Grade Head from whom an exit note must be obtained.
  7. Truancy from school is prohibited.
  8. All learners will attend assembly for the full duration thereof.
  9. The bells that ring during school hours impliedly and expressly give learners instructions that must be followed without the waste of time.
  10. A learners shall be expected to respect authorities, one another and visitors, the young and the old.
C. School Uniform and General Appearance

Learners are expected to wear the official school uniform and appear neat and tidy at all times.

  1. No additions to the uniform that are not in accordance with the regulations will be allowed (e.g. beanies).
  2. No earrings, jewellery, accessories, coloured contact lenses or visible tattoos are allowed.
  3. No colouring of hair or wearing of exotic hairstyles is allowed.
  4. Fingernails must be kept trimmed short and clean at all times.
  5. During events that allow the wearing of casual wear, learners should wear neat, presentable clothes. Beachwear, tight-fitting clothes, clothes that are see-through and/or too revealing are not allowed. Hair, shoes and accessories should be neat at all the times.
  6. Only learners that have applied, submitted relevant supporting documents and received the necessary permission from the SGB, may deviate from official school uniform for religious and cultural reasons as contemplated in Part 1 paragraph 1 of this Code of Conduct.
  7. The learners must properly and appropriately wear a full school uniform within the premises of the school. This applies even when the learner is on his/her way to school and on his/her way home from the school.
D.Valuables and Personal Belongings

    The school will not be held responsible for theft of or damage to personal belongings on school premises (e.g. cell phones, bags, books and clothing).

  1. Learners should avoid bringing cell phones, large sums of money and valuables to school. Cell phones may not be switched on during a normal school day. If the learner brings a cell phone to school, the learners must carry a written request from the parent, which must provide for an indemnification against loss of or damage to the cell phone.
  2. If parent requests a learner to pay school fees on his/her behalf, such school fees should be paid before the start of the school day.
  3. Arrangements should be made with the teacher in charge for safekeeping of valuables, ect. During sports practices.
  4. Learners may not bring computer games, iPods or similar electronic devices to school.

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E. General Rules
  1. Loitering and/or playing in and around the corridors, stairways and toilets is forbidden.
  2. All litter must be placed in refuse bins or wastepaper baskets.
  3. Wilful damaging, vandalising or neglect of school property and the property of others, either by writing or by a physical act, is prohibited. Theft of school and private property is also prohibited.
  4. Any act of cheating in class work, homework, informal and formal tests or internal or external examination is prohibited. Furthermore, copying of and/or borrowing another learner’s work is forbidden.
  5. Disruptive, unruly, rude and/or offensive behaviour will not be tolerated.
  6. The timeous handing in of work is the responsibility of each learner.
  7. Learners who fail to produce a medical certificate on absenteeism during formal examinations/tests/assessment tasks will obtain a mark of ‘”O” (nought) for the particular examination/test/assessment task.
  8. The learners will respect the beliefs, culture, dignity and rights of other learners as well as their right to privacy and confidentiality.
  9. Language that is seen as pejorative, discriminatory or racist is prohibited.
  10. Any act that belittles, demeans or humiliates another learner’s culture, race or religion is prohibited.
  11. All learners have the right to an education free of interference, intimidation and/physical abuse. The learners will respect the property and safety of other learners. Fighting or threatening of other learners is forbidden.
  12. The learner will respect those learners in positions of authority. A learner who is in a position of authority will conduct him/herself in a manner befitting someone in authority. She/he will be respect the rights of other learners and not abuse such authority bestowed upon him/her through his/her position.
  13. The carrying, copying and/reading of offensive material is prohibited.
  14. Learners must keep clear of areas that are indicated as out of bounds. These include:
  15. The playing fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, shooting range, swimming pool and area, except while attending official sports practice and matches or during a lesson while under the supervision of the subject teacher.
  16. Electrical mains distribution boxes, fire extinguishers and hoses.
  17. Parking lots.
F. Rules Governing Public Places

The school is a place of safety where laws pertaining to public spaces are applicable.

  1. No dangerous objects or illegal drugs as defined in the SA schools Act or the Safety Regulations will be brought onto and /or used on the school property unless authorised by the principal for educational purposes. Dangerous objects include knives, firearms or any item that could harm a person.
  2. The carrying and /or smoking of cigarettes is prohibited.
  3. Alcohol is not permitted on school premises or during any school activity.
  4. The carrying of and or consumption of illegal chemical substances and drugs is prohibited.
G. Transport
  1. Learners may not hitchhike while in school uniform, whether formal or sports dress.
H. School Enrichment Programme

Involvement in activities making up the school enrichment programme forms a valuable and integral part of the holistic education of every learners. All learners are, therefore, expected to become actively involved in at least one (1) sport, cultural and/or service activity per term.

  1. The learners is expected to adopt the correct etiquette pertaining to the specific activity at all times.
  2. Once a learner has committed him/herself to an activity, she/he will be bound to meet the rules and obligations related to that activity.
  3. Involvement in a particular activity will span the entire season/duration in which that activity takes place.
  4. Attendance of all practices is compulsory. Missing a practice without a valid excuse in writing from the learner’s parents may result in the learner being suspended from participation in one (1) inter-school league fixture.
  5. Appropriate kit/uniform will be worn to practices.
  6. The correct match kit/uniform will be worn to inter-school league fixture.
  7. Learners travelling to an away fixture will travel in full school uniform, unless other arrangements have been made.
  8. Sports and other kit must be carried in an appropriate bag.
  9. Learners playing in home league fixtures may arrive at the venue in their appropriate sports kit/uniform with their school blazer.
  10. Must carry proper school bags all the times.

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I. Accommodation of Religious or Cultural Rights

Religious practices, conduct or obligations that relate to the core values and beliefs of a recognised religion and that are in conflict with any rule contained in this code of conduct will be accommodated by a deviation from this code of Code of Conduct by the Governing Body under the following conditions:

  1. The learners, assisted by the parent, must apply for a deviation from the standard school rules if such rules are in conflict with or infringe on any religious right of the learner.
  2. This application must be in writing and must identify the specific rule/s that is/are offensive to the learner’s religious right/s as contained in the Constitution of Republic of South Africa.
  3. This application must include a reasonable interpretation of the religious rights that the learner feels are offended and a suggestion on how the rules may be supplemented b by the Governing Body to accommodate such religious rights.
  4. The learner must provide proof that she/he belongs to that specific religion and that the religious practices, rules and obligations that are in conflict with the school’s code of conduct are his/her true beliefs and commitments.
  5. The religious conduct or practice must be lawful.
  6. The Governing Body must consider the application and, if it is satisfied that the application is justified in terms of constitutional principles, the application will be granted in writing.
  7. When the Governing Body allows for deviations from the standard rules, such deviations must be based on core religious beliefs inherent to the religion, and it must be compulsory for the learner to comply with such beliefs.
  8. The deviation must specify the extent of the exemption from the normal rules and must clearly identify the conduct that will be allowed- e.g. the wearing of a head scarf, including colours and details of design; the growing of a beard; or the wearing of a specific hairstyle or jewellery – and the conditions under which such deviation will be applicable to the learner.
  9. Cultural rights will be considered in the event that they do not relate to a religion, if such cultural rights manifest in conduct of a permanent nature that is compulsory for the cultural group. This refers to cases where the removal of the cultural jewellery or mark will cause considerable pain to the learner. Normally, cultural rights are exercised through marks and expressions of a temporary nature that are justified for a specific cultural gathering. The learner must convince the Governing Body that his/her cultural rights can be exercised only through a permanent intervention.
  10. Any request for a deviation from the Code of Conduct based on cultural rights must be in writing and must be based on a process similar to that contained in subparagraphs 1 to 8 above.

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OFFENCES
  1. Dealing with serious misconduct There are many kinds of misconduct, some more serious than others. This is a graded list of misconduct.

Level 1 misconduct These are regarded as minor and include:

  • Failure to be in class on time.
  • Bunking class.
  • Failing to finish homework.
  • Failing to respond to reasonable instructions.
  • Being dishonest with minor consequences.
Level 2 misconduct
These are regarded as somewhat more serious and include:
  • Frequently repeated Level 1 misconduct.
  • Smoking or carrying tobacco.
  • Leaving school without permission.
  • Using abusive language.
  • Interrupting education in classroom.
  • Showing disrespect for another person.
  • Engaging in minor vandalism, like graffiti.
  • Being dishonest with more serious consequences.
Level 3 misconduct

These are regarded as serious and include:

  • Frequently repeated Level 2 misconduct where action taken by school authorities is considered ineffective.
  • Inflicting minor injury on another person.
  • Gambling.
  • Being severely disruptive of classes.
  • Forging documents or signatures with minor consequences.
  • Racist, sexist or other discriminatory behaviour.
  • Possessing or distributing pornographic, racist or sexist materials.
  • Possessing dangerous weapons.
  • Theft.
  • Vandalism.
  • Cheating during examinations.
Level 4 misconduct

These are regarded as very serious and include:

    Repetition of level 3 misconduct.
  • Threatening another person with dangerous weapon.
  • Causing internal limited injury to another person.
  • Verbally threatening the safety of another person.
  • Engaging in sexual activity.
  • Selling drugs.
  • Possessing or using alcohol or narcotics.
  • Disrupting the entire school (e.g. boycotting or picketing without consent)
  • Forging documents or signatures with serious consequences.
Level 5 misconduct
  • Repetition of level 4 acts.
  • Intending to conflict major physical injury on another person (assault).
  • Intentionally using a dangerous weapon.
  • Sexual abuse and rape.
  • Major theft.
  • Breaking and entering locked premises.
  • Murder.

If measures to prevent minor misconduct are not successful and proactive advice and counselling have also not succeeded, educators could apply one or more of the following:

  • Verbal warning or written reprimand by an educator.
  • Supervised school work that will contribute to the learner’s progress at school.
  • Performing tasks that would assist the offender.
  • Replacement of damaged property.
  • Detention in which learners use their time constructively but within the confines of the classroom.
  • Suspension from school activities, e.g. sport, cultural activities.
DISCIPLINARY MEASURES
Level 1 Offence : Written warning, Final written warning and Disciplinary hearing.
Level 2 offences : Final written warning and Disciplinary hearing.
Level 3 : Disciplinary hearing or tribunal
Level 4 : SAPS + Tribunal
Level 5 : SAPS + Tribunal
Level 2 misconduct to level 5 = parents must be invited from the onset.
Level 1 = normal procedure of discipline in the school but repetition of level 1 offence = a
parent must be invited.
Level 4 to level 5 misconduct requires immediate suspension.

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