The KS Handbook: Nothing More Than Words on Paper
Courtesy of Kamehameha Schools
The Student Parent Handbook is the guide that is signed prior to the start of the school year containing all the rules and consequences for student behavior.
To enforce the rules and policies of Kamehameha Schools, Administration created the Kamehameha Schools Kapālama HIGH SCHOOL 2019-2020 Student & Parent Handbook. Students, along with their parents, are asked to review and discuss the handbook. After reviewing, students and parents are required to sign a contract that affirms that students and parents are going to comply with the rules and policies stated.
Concerns that both students and parents share is the power that the High School Administration has: the power to create and enforce rules and policies whenever the time is appropriate and can be enforced without notice.
The Kamehameha Schools Kapālama HIGH SCHOOL 2019-2020 Student & Parent Handbook, states “Kamehameha needs to be flexible in order to keep pace with changing laws and requirements affecting and applicable to the goals and operations of Kamehameha. Because of that, this handbook may be modified, suspended or revoked at any time without notice and without taking into consideration custom or prior practices.”
Legally, Kamehameha Schools owns the right to create and enforce whatever rules and policies that they seem appropriate to maintain the expectations of a “Kamehameha Schools student”.
Therefore, students and parents start to question what purpose does establishing set rules do when they can be modified, suspended or revoked at any time? Does this not create a contradiction between what is written and enforced by staff and the school?
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I am Jordan Nunies. Currently, I am living in Honolulu. This will be my second year in Ka Mōʻī. I hope to raise awareness of Ka Mōʻī and create more than a newspaper. To do so, I work on the social media aspects of Ka Mōʻī. I plan to take Ka Mōʻī in a new direction, one where we can create more interaction with students and teachers! One day, I aspire to work within the journalism field and seek the truth for everyone.
Kanoe Igarashi • Feb 16, 2020 at 4:40 pm
I found this article very interesting because I know that most students, myself included, don’t read the fine print of the handbook, or really care for that matter. This startling fact that the school can change the handbook without notice should urge students to be more aware of what they sign. So does this mean that the school can change the handbook without letting students and parents know? If so, that would definitely be a violation of our rights, regardless if we signed a contract.
Jordan Nunies • Jan 9, 2020 at 2:25 pm
@Buffboi797
In theory, yes, Administration does have the power to change the established rules and policies. However, I believe our Administration team does have hearts and wouldn’t create new rules and policies to find ways to punish students.
buffboi797 • Jan 9, 2020 at 11:23 am
So does this mean KS can change the rules whenever they want without any notice? Just asking cause if it does then that really doesn’t feel right