A new code of conduct for parents is being rolled out across 11 Anglican colleges in Western Australia (WA), warning they could be banned from school grounds or have their child’s enrolment withdrawn.
With a 2022 survey of WA principals from both government and independent school revealing 30.6 per cent reported being subjected to violence or threats from parents, the code of conduct is designed to enforce strict rules about appropriate behaviour.
The 11 schools belong to a group of 15 schools overseen by the Anglican Schools Commission (ASC). which also owns the ASC Language School in Perth, and three schools across regional Victoria and New South Wales.
The code of conduct explains parental expectations clearly, with the warning that they must commit to engaging in polite and respectful communication and “refrain from all forms of bullying and harassment”.
A long list of “unacceptable” examples of parental conduct includes “fighting, assault or threats of violence”, as well as using “inappropriate, disrespectful or profane words or gestures and images”, or making threats of violence to school staff or other members of the school community.
The hard-hitting code of conduct also reminds parents at the schools to avoid sending emails that are “persistent, demanding or aggressive” or sharing “offensive or explicit text messages, photos or videos”.
Drunken parents are not welcome at school functions
Parents who display drunken behaviour at school functions, or who make negative comments about the school or members of the school community on social media will not be tolerated. The code of conduct rules also insist that the actions of any parent must not – at any time – “bring the school into disrepute”, either within, or outside of, scheduled school activity times.
Any parent found breaching the code, the schools warn, could face a temporary or permanent ban from school grounds, exclusion from school events, or have the enrolment of a student terminated.
Principal Steven Davies, from St Mark’s Anglican Community School, said he believed the code would help provide “a shared understanding of how relationships should be conducted” and minimise risks to the health and safety of school staff members.
Schools in WA can create unique codes to control parental behaviour
Although the Department of Education WA said there was no overarching code of conduct for parents at public schools, individual schools could implement their own code.
A general code of conduct for staff and parents was introduced by Catholic Education WA about two years ago.
Association of Heads of Independent Schools Australia WA chair Alec O’Connell said it was not unusual for parent codes of conduct to be created by private schools.
“The majority of parents are wonderful and supportive — the code of conduct is to deal with a minority that behave poorly,” he said. “It’s a statement that the profession deserves respect and that parents’ expectations have to be reasonable.”
