Stonefountain - Code of Conduct

Code Of Conduct

INTRODUCTION

This College is committed to providing an environment for the delivery of quality teaching and learning by:

Promoting the rights and safety of all learners and teachers and parents.

Ensuring learners

responsibility for their own actions and behaviours.

Prohibiting all forms of unfair discrimination and intolerance.

Eliminating disruptive and offensive conduct.

The Code of Conduct spells out the rules regarding learner behaviour at the College and describes the disciplinary system to be implemented by the College concerning transgressions by learners. The Code of Conduct applies to all learners while they are on the College premises or when they are away from the College representing it or attending a College function.
Section 8(4) of the SA Colleges Act provides that all learners attending a College are bound by the Code of Conduct of that College. All learners attending the College are expected to sign a statement of commitment to the Code of Conduct (Annexure A). The administration of the Code of Conduct is the responsibility of the Disciplinary Committee of the College.

PART 1: THE COLLEGE RULES The College rules are intended to establish a disciplined and purposeful environment to facilitate effective teaching and learning at the College. Nothing shall exempt a learner from complying with the College rules. Ignorance of College rules is, therefore, not an acceptable excuse.

A: General Principles
1. Learners are expected at all times to behave in a courteous and considerate manner towards each other, the Learner Representative Council (LRC), all members of staff and visitors to the College.
2. Learners are expected to abide by the College rules with regard to appearance and behaviour when representing the College both during College hours and after College hours, at College and away from College. Learners may not say or do anything that will discredit themselves or the College.
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 College will contact parents/guardians when a learner's behaviour becomes a cause of concern and will endeavour, in a spirit of constructive partnership, to resolve the problem.

B: College and Class Attendance
Parents/guardians, learners, teachers and College Management members are jointly responsible for ensuring that all learners attend College.
1. If a learner does not attend College regularly, the Secretary will report the absence of the learner to the parent and the Principal. The Secretary must keep an accurate register of learner attendance and must keep copies of all communication to parents when absence from the classroom is reported.
2. All learners are to arrive at College before the official starting time. Learners who are late for College will be marked absent as registers are completed at the beginning of each College day.
3. Absence from a class, without the permission of the relevant subject teacher, is prohibited.
4. Any absence from College must be covered by an absentee note from a parent/guardian.
5. Should a learner be absent from College 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.
6. Any absence from a formal examination, test or task must be supported by a letter from a medical doctor/traditional doctor/registered herbalist.
7. No learner may leave the College during College hours without a letter from a parent/guardian requesting the release of their child and the permission of the Principal/Deputy Principal/ from whom an exit note must be obtained.
8. Truancy from College is prohibited.
9. All learners will attend assembly for the full duration thereof.

C: General Appearance
Learners are expected to appear neat and tidy at all times. 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 times.

D: Valuables and Personal Belongings
The College will not be held responsible for theft of or damage to personal belongings on College premises (e.g. cell phones, bags, books and clothing).
1. Learners should avoid bringing cell phones, large sums of money and valuables to College. Cell phones may not be switched on during a normal College day. If the learner brings a cell phone to College, the learner 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 a parent requests a learner to pay College fees on his/her behalf, such College fees should be paid before the start of the College day.
3. Arrangements should be made with the teacher in charge for safekeeping of valuables, etc. during sports practices.
4. Learners may not bring computer games, iPods or similar electronic devices to College.

E: General Rules
1. Loitering and/or playing in and around the corridors, stairwells and toilets is forbidden.
2. All litter must be placed in refuse bins or wastepaper baskets.
3. Wilful damaging, vandalising or neglect of College property and the property of others, either by writing or by a physical act, is prohibited. Theft of College 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 0 (nought) for the particular examination/test/assessment task.
8. The learner 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/or physical abuse. The learner 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. S/he will respect the rights of other learners and will not abuse such authority bestowed upon him/her through his/her position.
13. The carrying, copying and/or reading of offensive material is prohibited.
14. Learners must keep clear of areas that are indicated as out of bounds. These include: The Principal and Deputy Principal's offices, the Staffroom, Secretary's office space.

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F: Rules Governing Pubic Places
The College 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 Colleges Act or the Safety Regulations will be brought onto and/or used on the College property unless authorised by the Principal for educational purposes. Dangerous objects include knives, firearms or any item that could harm a person.
2. Smoking of cigarettes is prohibited on College premises and in front of the College.
3. Alcohol is not permitted on College premises or during any College activity.
4. The carrying of and/or consumption of illegal chemical substances and drugs is prohibited.

*Please refer to College Drug Policy

G: Transport
Learners wishing to park motor cycles/motor vehicles on the College grounds must first obtain permission from the College to do so and make use of the areas specifically demarcated for this purpose.
1. All learners park their vehicles and bikes (pedal or motorized) on the College premises at their own risk.
2. Learners may ride or drive a vehicle on the College grounds provided the learner has a license to drive such vehicle and provided extreme caution is exercised. Reckless behaviour is forbidden.
3. The Code of Conduct is applicable when making use of public transport to and from College.

H: College Enrichment Programme
Involvement in activities making up the College Enrichment Programme forms a valuable and integral part of the holistic education of every learner. All learners are, therefore, expected to become actively involved in organized activities.

Accomodation of Religious and 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 Conduct by the College Management under the following conditions:
1. The learner, assisted by the parent, must apply for a deviation from the standard College 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 the 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 by the College Management to accommodate such religious rights.
4. The learner must provide proof that s/he belongs to that specific religion and that the religious practices, rules and obligations that are in conflict with the College's Code of Conduct are his/her true beliefs and commitments.
5. The religious conduct or practice must be lawful.