The Education Wonks link to an upcoming discussion of discipline in British schools:
Tony Blair has been floating new ideas in a bid combat loutish behaviour in England's schools. Ahead of a meeting with educationalists on Wednesday, the prime minister suggested that children who are suspended from school take part in community service.In a letter to Sir Alan Steer, head of a taskforce on pupil behaviour, Blair says that suspensions are "a crucial sanction for head teachers" but they should be made more of a punishment.
"Should we legally require suspended students to stay at home, accompanied by a parent, rather than allowing them freely to cause a nuisance on the streets or in shopping centres?" he wrote.
Ministers believe school discipline is essential if standards are to be raised and the wider problem of anti-social behaviour is to be brought under control.
The government also wants to see parents taking more control and responsibility for the behaviour of their children.
The trick, of course, is in how to do that. The EWs note that this would require the UK to do something that the US has so far shown great reluctance to do, which is to require that parents and students show as much accountability as teachers and schools:
We've stated the obvious before, and we will keep on stating it: The establishment of a safe, secure, nurturing, and orderly learning environment for all children is an absolutely essential component of any meaningful educational reform.Parents and students must also be held accountable for "doing their part" if the our nation's public schools are to have any chance of accomplishing President Bush's goal of "Leaving no child behind."
It should be noted that some schools have had great success with being as tough on parents as they are on problem students.
Posted by kswygert at July 26, 2005 06:52 PM