Zero-tolerance policies in schools

rdf:langString Zero-tolerance policies in schools

rdf:langString A zero-tolerance policy in schools is a strict enforcement of regulations and bans against behaviors or the possession of items deemed undesirable by said schools. Public criticism against the enforcement of such policies has arisen due to potential negative consequences when acts deemed intolerable are done in ignorance, by accident, or under extenuating circumstances, in addition to its connection to educational inequality in the United States. In schools, common zero-tolerance policies concern possession or use of illicit drugs or weapons. Students, and sometimes staff, parents, and other visitors, who possess a banned item for any reason are always (if the policy is followed) to be punished. In the United States and Canada, zero-tolerance policies have been adopted in various schools and other education venues. Zero-tolerance policies in the United States became widespread in 1994, after federal legislation required states to expel for one year any student who brought a firearm to school, or lose all federal funding. These policies are promoted as preventing drug abuse and violence in schools. Critics say zero-tolerance policies in schools have resulted in punishments that have been criticized as egregiously unfair against students and teachers, especially in schools with poorly written policies. Consequently, critics describe these policies as "zero-logic policies" because they treat juveniles the way that adults would be treated — or more harshly, given that children are seldom granted full permission to speak up in their own defense to adults with authority over them. Many people have been critical of zero-tolerance policies, claiming that they are draconian, provide little if any benefit to anyone, contribute to overcrowding of the criminal justice system, and/or disproportionately target people of color, particularly people of African-American and Hispanic descent.