Negligence Principles in the School Context: New Challenges for the 'Careful Parent'

In this article the authors review general principles of negligence as they affect the practice of educators. They also discuss new challenges school face impacting civil liability, including: budget cut-backs; the increasing use of volunteers; school violence and harassment; and medical emergencies and conditions such as anaphylaxis and scent sensitivity. The article concludes with a discussion of some general considerations in the management of risks in schools, including a proactive plan of risk identification and assessment, along with weighting risks against their educational benefits.