According to the SA Schools Act a governing body of a public school must draft and adopt a Code of Conduct for the learners. This needs to follow a consultative process with learners, parents and educators of the school.

This Code of Conduct must include the types of behaviours that will be punished, the types of punishments that will be given for different forms of misbehaviour, policies on making the school a safe place, against bullying and drugs, as well as grievance procedures for learners and parents if they want to take up a matter against another learner or the school, and disciplinary procedures that the school will follow if it plans to discipline a learner.