This section is for those of you who are struggling to come up with some good ideas for a paper, or for those who are just interested in doing a little extra research. There are literally hundreds of great ideas for future research projects in the area of civil liberties for students. Here are a few. Enjoy!

What are the legal and civil liberties issues of using breathalyzers at school dances? Is their use a violation of students’ privacy? Can their use be justified by the school under the School Act and its provisions? Explore various ideas on this topic.

As you can tell from reading this guide, there are limits on when, where and how the Charter can be applied to situations involving public schools. Why not look more fully at what these limits are? For example, when looking at freedom of speech, does it matter what type of school is involved (i.e. public versus private, or high school versus college)? Why would the type of school be a factor?

Can teachers or other school officials use force to maintain order in a classroom or to discipline a student? What laws might be applicable (think federally and provincially)? Could an argument be made under the Charter that physical punishment or force is cruel and unusual treatment? Would this argument succeed? Why or why not? Hint: have a look at section 43 of the Criminal Code, and the School Act. There is also a Supreme Court of Canada decisioin on spanking.