Violence in Secondary Schools and Colleges in Britain - Essay Example

Violence in Secondary schools and Colleges in Britain One of the major defies that teachers are to face in the 21st century is the dilemma of school violence. Teachers are warning that violence in schools is increasing enormously, saying one in ten that they have been injured by pupils and a recent survey revealing that classrooms are becoming more and more unruly, despite repeated government attempts to tackle poor discipline. All in all, behaviour has definitely got worse (Taylor: 2008). In addition, students are becoming increasingly concerned for their personal safety and security following several violent incidents in colleges (Mourant: 2001). The poor discipline that we are experiencing in secondary schools and colleges in Britain involves different features such us pupils talking while teacher is teaching; using mobile phones during class hours; ignoring teachers demands; applying physical aggression towards staff and other peers; applying psychological aggression towards other students and teachers by threatens and insults. It is common to read in the newspapers and hear through other people that a teenager has been stabbed in the eye and the head by a fellow of 15 years old at school; we also hear and read about pupils that suffer cuts and bruises in a school/college attack or that are slashed across the face with a pencil sharpener; students mugging other students for their cash and mobile phones, and the list is long. What is more upsetting is that poor behaviour is driving teachers' staff away. As a result of whats occurring in the classrooms, they started to consider the idea of leaving the profession. The truth is that this issue has been raised some years ago. The police usually said that the incidents reported where not related to racial disputes. However, this need to be confirmed as usually ethnic groups is also part of the problem. In 2006, Ministers decided to change the law to provide teachers with the legal right to discipline unruly pupils and restrain children using reasonable force. In May 2005 the British government announced the creation of a task force (Curtis:2005) where experts heads and teachers would have to consider a national code of behaviour, and to set minimum standards expected by schools, parents and pupils, in order to tackle poor behaviour. Also, a new offence of "allowing a child to be found in a public place during school hours without good cause" to make sure parents keep track of their children was established, and the controversial right of parents to appeal when a pupil was excluded for more than five days was backed as well (Macleod:2005). The whole initiative represented a new move to construct a "culture of respect" in the classroom. However, as we have already seen, reforms have made little impact. Colleges started to take different measures like installing metal detectors in hundreds of secondary schools in an effort to dissuade pupils from carrying knives and dangerous weapons; increasing guards and security; introducing cameras; among others. The introduction of these cameras was important as by this measure some students were caught red-handed like for example in the act of stealing a purse or breaking the windows of the classroom, or vandalising cars in the school area. The question from now on is the following: How can we improve the current situation For the question raised we can think of many important measures that can be adopted. For example it is necessary to establish norms for behaviour for students. Students can be asked to set penalties and enforce rules. Also it is imperative to encourage parents to talk with teachers about the progress of the child, to engage in a closer relationship with the school authorities, and to learn how to recognize the warning signs of violence either at home or with their peers as they will surely reproduce later in the school environment. For teachers it is also important to recognise the signs of violence as soon as they occur and to stop them immediately. They can report immediately the act to their superior. Another measure that can be taken is to encourage students to engage in anti-violence activities. In order to do this the secondary school or college needs to create a school program with different activities that are not violent and where students can choose freely. It is also important that teachers encourage students not resort to name-calling or teasing, and to apply sanctions whenever the teacher considers them to be appropriate. On the other hand, teachers need to persuade pupils to demonstrate respect and solidarity among them and towards the authorities. Although police usually affirm that many of the incidents have no racial causes, it is necessary that teachers pay attention to the importance of developing respect among students for cultural diversity. Furthermore, we consider that it is vital to encourage students to report crimes or suspicious activities immediately, and that the authorities act immediately after a report as well. It is necessary to engage in a whole school community approach. This means basically that we should think of the role of students, teachers, heads of schools, parents, governmental authorities. Teachers, heads of secondary schools and colleges can be of great help for government authorities in the development of a new plan to tackle this issue, and at the same time collaborate in the promotion of new laws and measures. When everyone join forces the good results are more likely to be seen. Besides, the media can play an essential role making the whole society aware of the problem if we take into account that in order to tackle a problem the first step we need to take is to be aware of it. Nonetheless, it is the attitude of parents that is a key element for the preservation of good behaviour. Education begins at home and then continues at school. It is important to take action immediately especially if we think about the good students education - those who do not engage in this kind of poor behaviour and who suffer the consequences of the poor behaviour of bad students. BIBLIOGRAPHY Curtis, Polly, 2005. Kelly unveils taskforce to tackle pupil behaviour. The Guardian. Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2005/may/20/schools.uk1 [Accessed 21-11-2008] Macleod, Donald, 2005. Teachers to get legal right to restrain pupils. The Guardian. Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2005/oct/21/schools.uk1 [Accessed 21 November 2008] Mourant, Andrew, 2001. Outbreaks of violence alarm students and staff. The weekly Times Educational Supplement. Available at: http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspxstorycode=345531 [Accessed: 21 November 2008] Taylor, Matthey, 2008. Violence on the increase in schools, teachers warn. The Guardian. Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/mar/17/schools.uk [Accessed: 21 November 2008] Read More