The Canton of Vaud prohibits in black and white any sexual relationship between teachers and students at school. The Department of Education and Vocational Training (DEF) of Frédéric Borloz signed an explicit directive on this subject this week, indicates the website of the State of Vaud. It will come into force on July 1.
This directive, signed on Monday and of which Keystone-ATS received a copy on Thursday, echoes the motion of the environmentalist deputy Yannick Maury tabled last March at the Grand Council. It was supported by elected officials from all parties. The objective was to clarify cantonal law which remained too general and vague.
Its text specifically asked the Council of State “to explicitly prohibit secondary 2 teaching staff from maintaining intimate relationships with students”. It was therefore a question of modifying the law on upper secondary education (LESS) or of proceeding by directive like the Canton of Geneva.
Vaud like Geneva
Sexual relations between teachers and adult students are not prohibited in post-compulsory schools in most French-speaking cantons. Only Geneva applies zero tolerance on this subject and has, in fact, issued a clear directive on the matter.
The Geneva Department of Public Education (DIP) specifies that “teaching staff must adopt an adequate distance with regard to the role of authority that they exercise over students” and that “any behavior, even consented, affecting the “sexual integrity is prohibited”.
It is this path also which was chosen by the Vaudois Council of State, “the head of the DEF now specifying the content of the duties of teaching staff in compulsory and post-compulsory education, with particular regard to intimate relationships and acts of a sexual nature with students.
“In any relationship with students, members of the teaching staff must adopt appropriate behavior (…) Teaching staff in compulsory and post-compulsory education are prohibited from maintaining intimate relationships or practicing acts of order sexual with students, even if they consent or the initiative belongs to them or appears to belong to them,” states the directive.
Minor-major distinction
This makes a distinction between minor and adult students. For the former, the ban applies even if the teaching staff does not attend the same educational establishment. For adult students, the ban only applies to teachers who attend the same school.
“Behavior which contravenes this ban will lead, depending on its seriousness and in compliance with the constitutional principle of proportionality, to a warning or to the termination of the teacher’s employment contract, if necessary immediate for just cause. such behavior may also be criminally relevant”, concludes the directive.
Green MP Yannick Maury hailed this “progress” on Thursday as a “victory”. “Inscribing this ban in black and white can also have an obvious preventive effect, and thus make it possible to contain certain acts of violence,” he explained to Keystone-ATS.
His motion has not yet been adopted before the Grand Council. It is currently the subject of a committee examination.
This article was automatically published. Source: ats
