CARE Student
Advocacy
CARE Student Advocacy is a branch of services that provide support for parents of students who need assistance with formal communications and representation with schools.
We leverage our knowledge of education law and familiarity with Ontario school boards to assist parents in drafting letters, conducting appeals, and representation to ensure that the needs and considerations of their children are being properly expressed. The scope of topics we help address through our assistance include:
Special Education and Accommodation
Every student has a right to access meaningful education. Students may face behavioural, communication, intellectual and/or physical barriers. When a student faces a barrier to their education success, schools may be able to provide accommodations.
Bullying and Harrassment
Bullying and harassment have negative impacts on students' home and school life. This type of behaviour is typically repeated over time and is meant to cause harm, fear, distress, or create a negative environment. Bullying and harassment exist in physical, verbal, social, written and electronic (cyberbullying) form. If such behaviour negatively impacts a student’s school climate, the school must address it.
Attendance Rights
Children under the age of 18 are entitled to get an education, and for many children under the age of 16, they are required to attend school. Any child who resides in Ontario (a “resident pupil”) has the right to attend school without paying a fee. This right holds true regardless of a child’s immigration status.
Student Discipline
Youth are prone to making mistakes, experiencing repercussions and accordingly, correcting their improper behaviour: such is the beauty of childhood. Nonetheless, discipline must be proportionate to the error committed. Educators must adhere to a school board’s set of rules and protocols whilst attending to a student’s misdemeanor rather than issuing discipline arbitrarily and irrationally.
CARE Student Advocacy is student led and overseen by Battick Legal Advisory.
To learn more about CARE Student Advocacy or other inquiries please email: advocacy@batticklegal.ca.