School Discipline and Disproportion

The Issue

Discipline is supposed to create safe, respectful learning environments. But across Canada (and globally), suspensions, expulsions, and disciplinary referrals often fall hardest on specific groups of students — Indigenous youth, Black students, students with disabilities, and boys from low-income households.

Why It Matters

• Equity gap: Disproportionate discipline fuels dropout rates, weakens trust in schools, and reinforces cycles of marginalization.
• Hidden bias: Even when rules are written as neutral, how they’re enforced often reflects unconscious (or conscious) biases.
• School-to-prison pipeline: Harsh school discipline can escalate into contact with the justice system, particularly for racialized youth.

The Canadian Context

• Research shows Indigenous and Black students face higher suspension rates relative to their population share.
• Students with learning disabilities or behavioral diagnoses are often disciplined for challenges tied to unmet educational needs.
• In rural and northern communities, discipline can mean exclusion without alternatives, since there may be no nearby placement options.

The Alternatives

• Restorative justice practices: Focus on repairing harm and rebuilding trust rather than exclusion.
• Trauma-informed approaches: Recognize how lived experiences shape behavior, especially for children in care or from high-stress homes.
• Cultural safety: Understanding that discipline in one cultural context may not translate fairly in another.

The Tension

Rules matter. Order matters. But when discipline becomes a measure of control instead of support, schools risk teaching some kids that they don’t belong.

The Question

How do we create discipline systems that are firm but fair — consistent without being discriminatory?