| The question of discipline in schools is a fairly serious | | | | listening in class and bringing pens and rulers to lessons. |
| one. Reading on BBC's website some archived news | | | | Sine 1994 when the Behaviour for Learning started, the |
| stories on schools in the UK, it is amazing to see that | | | | proportion of pupils getting five A* to C-grade GCSEs |
| some teachers are being attacked, bullied, harassed in | | | | or equivalent has risen from 9% to 76.5% - above the |
| cyber space and in general are having a tough time of | | | | English national average of 53.7%. |
| it. A particular horrific report states that a female | | | | What happened in this college was probably that the |
| primary teacher had been assaulted 150 times in six | | | | management took charge of the problem and |
| months by the same pupil. | | | | introduced a campaign which was enforced from the |
| What has educators particularly worried is a | | | | top down. And it worked. The basic principle here is in |
| documentary about to be flighted on Channel 5 on | | | | fact exactly as all business works. The CEO |
| April 26, 2007 which shows the chaos that reigns in | | | | determines the culture and ethics of the company. |
| some schools. Learners were filmed secretively to | | | | Senior management in a school, with other words |
| show an unsensored view of their bad behaviour. | | | | school heads, need to establish the discipline and |
| Another report states that it is the fault of parents | | | | culture of learning in the educational institution. Too |
| who create "foul-mouthed, feckless, potentially violent | | | | often school heads are appointed from the teaching |
| youths" and this according to the Shadow Education | | | | body and are placed in management positions without |
| Secretary Collins. His idea of sorting out the violence | | | | or with just minimal support. Headmasters should be |
| and bad behaviour in schools is to get parents to sign | | | | attending MBA classes to learn how to manage their |
| a contract guaranteeing good conduct in schools. The | | | | school. In larger schools heads have thirty to fifty |
| Conservatives are also talking about introducing a | | | | teachers reporting to them, with hundreds of learners. |
| Teacher Protection Act. Bizarre suggestions. | | | | In real terms that is a fair size organisation. |
| Besides contracts for parents to sign, there are also | | | | I don't think that locking down schools, metal detectors |
| calls for CCTV cameras in school grounds. And here | | | | or CCTV cameras are going to make any difference. |
| we thought there were enough of those in the UK. | | | | And before everybody yells at me for talking out of |
| Besides these measures, metal detectors should be | | | | turn, I taught at high school for four years. I have some |
| installed at entrances to schools as well as buildings to | | | | idea what the system is about. What will help is to |
| be secured, presumably meaning security guards, | | | | instal a management culture that provides rules and |
| fences, walls etc. | | | | regulations that all can adhere to. After all, in a |
| Yet there are examples where schools, situated in | | | | company, if a staff member steps out of line, the |
| areas with social problems, have managed to | | | | company will have a corporate manual against which |
| somehow turn this trend of bad behaviour around and | | | | the behaviour will be jduged and if found wanting, |
| have increased academic achievements at the same | | | | disciplinary action will be taken. Why should schools be |
| time. For example, the Ninestiles Technology College in | | | | different. Besides which, it actually works, as the |
| Birmingham has simple learning rules which learners | | | | Ninestiles Technology College has demonstrated. |
| have to adhere to. The rules cover such basics as | | | | |