welfare; agent of the police; employee.
The roles of teachers have changed dramatically because of changing perceptions of education law, educators, parents, teachers and society. For example, a more diverse student body and a more diverse teaching staff create the need for civil rights legislation which protects the basic rights of both students and teachers according to the Canadian Constitution. Additionally, a move toward national education standards has prompted many statutes to erode in significance because of federal legislation like the Youth Offender Act, the Canadian Charters of Rights and Freedoms, and the Education Act. Further alteration of the teacher role has been catalyzed by the changing nature of the relationship between the school board and various other agencies, like the Canadian Supreme Court, social welfare organizations, and criminal law enforcement. Formerly the school board was invested with the power of all three branches of the U.S. government (in other words, they made the laws, enforced the laws, and acted as the judicial system when laws were broken). This power has also eroded as the trend in education law is to move away from localization to nationalization.
This research will explore the new role of teachers from the impact of education law, changing roles between education players (school board, teachers, students and parents) and social institutions, and the changing nature of society (like youth offenders being held criminally responsible for their actions). Various legislation that has impacted this role transformation will be addressed in addition to the explication of actual court decisions which demonstrate a variety of aspects with which teachers and other education professionals must deal in light of ever evolving laws. A conclusion will address the future direction of education law and how it may additionally impact the role of teachers.
TEACHER ROLES & THE NATURE OF EDUCAT...