Behaviour and Attendance 2

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Yes I love Libraries too Marianka. But this is a hotseat about behaviour and attendance so lots of replies about library activities effectively hijacks the debate about behaviour and attendance.
This is a perfect example of what happens so often in schools, and why the majority of exclusions from schools last year were not about violence or drugs but about persistent disruption.
Marianka, you have a passion for libraries, which is laudable, but not what this hotseat was set up to discuss. Children and young people are often very excited about their own agendas too and often try to hijack lessons to meet their own needs.
The brief of this particular hotseat is broadly about understanding, managing and changing behaviours and about ensuring full attendance. We can discuss theories of learning and behaviour, case studies, advice and guidance and any thing related to sharing and improving practice and resources. Those are the boundaries, so that we can have a congruent conversation across different settings and roles and experiences.
Advertising is interesting and the odd advertisement about libraries or other at –risk provision was perhaps irresistible in these constrained times? But really Marianka, to ask a question about what everyone is doing on library day is just stealing the hotseat. Sorry, its not appropriate. I harbour no resentment against you, but its inappropriate behaviour and so inadvertently a brilliant start to our discussion! cheers, geri

Definitely not deserving of an arrest. Hi Geri and Marehena,
I read the article and find it unbelievable. They have made kids (teens) criminals. Although teens can be a difficult bunch, and quite self absorbed, they should be treated as criminals. They still need guidance and sure consequences, but whatever happened to school disciplinary actions like detentions or cleaning chalk boards, desks, toilets,etc. or recess detainment? I went to high school in California and yes, though I am not proud of it, I had to serve detentions and clean the classroom. I am so glad I didn't go to that texas school I would have been arrested and I really was generally a good kid. I find much is focused on primary children and their needs as it should, but once the kids go to high school where do the mentors go? We leave them to themselves. Schools may be the only safe haven for these children. (teens) they experience their own micro cultural hardships, such as peer pressure, bulling, and academic performance. The young girl who sprayed perfume on herself was being bullied and she had special needs. Where was the pastoral care? Where were the understanding teachers? Did anyone have a talk with the bullies, call their parents in or even discipline them for intolerable behaviour and set boundaries. Are they To afraid of parental protests. Well, consider the complaints, but many time schools must keep order and consequence is part of that. Schools are for the Children and their are much more who do keep order than not. If schools don't allow themselves to get bullied then they can start to clean house as the expression goes. Teachers must get control of their classrooms, communicate with students and parents even at the secondary level. They will find better personal accountability from their students. I will look for something I read regarding all the extra curricular like drama, sports, music, etc and how they help enhance positive student behaviour. I believe teens need to be given the benifit of the doubt. I couldn't believe it reading the article. Have they gone mad. Sorry, I seem a bit emotional about this topic.
best, Jess

Hi Jessica,
I can hear your own emotional literacy in what you say. It is a shocking insight into Texan discipline and a bit cautionary that our government adviser have chosen to go and have a look at it!
Did you see the summary of government advice attached for this hotseat?
So I fully agree with you about a school with clear boundaries, clear consistent systems, which make everything predictable and safe. Where the consequences and the rewards are understood and accepted by every stakeholder and consistently applied. Clear fair policy, effectively shared, agreed by everyone including parents, makes for a calm learning environment, I see that every time I do a behaviour audit in a school.
Yes please to emotionally literate teachers who understand and manage themselves and who teach children and young people to manage themselves.
I suggest that no teacher takes control of a class; we are given control by the student and they can also take it away. Dancing around with excellent multi-dimensional lessons that people aren’t able to engage with because their lives are in chaos, has become an obvious nonsense. OFSTED have told us they don’t want to see any more quiet zombies. They want to see us teaching children and young people how to manage themselves. Just wondered though where you are working? We have lots of excellent mentors in our secondary schools in London.
PS. I also have a theory that we go back into schools to work because we need to ‘fix’ a bad experience or because we had such a very positive one. I had detentions too and when my mum was ill with cancer I was caned every day [nobody asked] cheers, geri

American education is currently undergoing a crisis! Many teachers are having their programs cut and being forced to teach subjects that they are not qualified to teach. When colleagues resign, they are not being replaced and their classes are simply being absorbed. I taught in one of the most deprived teas in South Africa and we had amazing discipline because we cared. I sometimes had 105 students in one class but they were silent as mice because they knew I was doing my best to get them out of the ghetto...not into a jail cell like their relatives. Deprived kids see enough of that sort of thing and it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

I must say that it took time and lots of work to create this ethos and when teachers are stressed and undervalued, they are emotionally unable to deal with consistent low level discipline so it escalates until police intervention is required. At my school in Rochdale, we received little support from Senior Management and we felt constantly undermined. I started a youth centre and allowed the kids to do their YOP at my project so I addressed discipline after school through YOP and other youth work activities but how many teachers can physically put hat sort of time in without support from others? Teachers come first! When teachers are valued and supported, discipline will improve because they will work together more and have more time to follow things through.

I wonder if you could describe in more detail what the 'ethos' of the teaching staff was in SA? How was it articulated? Was it congruent with any formal or informal 'vision' or school motto? My focus is Organisational Development in the context of school improvement and am investigating the values and effects of school improvement through its 'vision' 'ethos' 'motto' 'journey' etc. Did your school have a clear vision that permeated through the staff and student bodies? If so, would you say it was articulated in a way that had real effects in the classroom? You say that you receive little support from SMT in your current school? Does your current school have an articulated vision/ethos etc? If not, would you say it is in need of one?

You have a golden topic here! In Johannesburg, I worked at a school called Raucall. The Afrikaans university started it after apartheid to break the cycle of poverty in disadvantaged communities who had been disempowered by apartheid. The atmosphere was electric! Everyone of the staff was highly trained and deeply committed. We felt a strong spiritual vocation to save these children from poverty and AIDS and we worked our socks off! This was a vocation. We earned less than 400 pounds a month. My biggest class was 150 children and I loved them! Yes, we had a very clear ethos and very clear behavior standards. We fed the children and held them in our arms. We bought them medicine and toiletries and we sewed their prom dresses and knitted hem gloves while we taught. Today the school is one of the top 7 schools on the continent!
I then moved to the Uk and...well! You cannot hug children. You cannot discipline them without risking your career. The slt were basically waiting for retirement and didn't like having the boat rocked. The ethos was...hear no evil/ see no evil. Unless of course, the children were rude to them! I was told to chill out and just focus on my teaching when I complained about substance abuse. The behavior managers were awful and often undermined staff so we often had nothing to do with them and there was no consistent approach to discipline. Parents were another problem. They would give the children substances and alcohol! The mothers were promiscuous and would just disappear for the weekend so we had enormous pastoral issues which " are not part of your job description so just focus on your teaching!"
How can you teach a child who doesn't know where her mother has been for the last 48 hours? How do you teach an 11 year who is self harming because she has been sexually active since primary school? They received no counselling but were given detentions for having the wrong shoes...even though they had been locked out of the house. I knew, after 5 years, that the school would not change. That is why my friend and I opened a youth centre and we now provide emotional and educational support from our own pockets with volunteers from the community. The centre has made a huge difference. Today, I teach in Seoul and once again we have a wonderful, warm atmosphere where everyone feels loved and valued. Learning support and counselling is freely available and we hug and cuddle the children!Discipline is clearly and fairly applied and we have a strong Christian ethos where respect and compassion are encouraged. We do a lot of charity work and empathy and tolerance are modeled on a daily basis. In my opinion, ethos is everything but ethos is determined by management. If they overwork and undermine teachers; if they overlook low level disruption and apply sanctions unfairly; if their hearts are not in it;if they label caring teachers as trouble makers then you can only make a minor difference. Do not let that stop you from trying!

In regards to a comment made about US schools. In crisis. There are undeniable issues to target, but needs to be objective consideration. Crisis does't represent all schools.
 I have worked and observed several schools in the US and internationally who have a great behavioural track record. A lot of the ideas I had stemmed from my experiences and observations in the US. Unfortunately the article focuses on the Texas school, but each district and state in the US is separate from the other. Not all the US schools are in such a bad situation That is actually a minority. Most are Quite good and offer excellent school management skills and pedagogical standards. I carry a California teaching credential. The commission for credentialing were struck about my getting the proper training, education, and qualification to teach the appropriate courses. Just in one county a school district differs from the next. Some I observed having weak mentoring and others with superb.
My daughters were educated in the American school system and have come out well educated and mannered in good careers. One a lawyer the other in advertising. I do find it a shame that This Texas article made an impact as an example of most American secondary schools.

You are right - "crisis" does not represent all schools. My own judgement was clouded by the experiences of my colleagues who are from Washington. Many of them are facing considerable financial and professional hardship and this does effect their performance as teachers. In the UK, when our school had to absorb another school, the loss of morale and increased workload caused a number of stress related behavioral problems as staff were simply too tired to follow up discipline issues consistently. Thank you for mentioning that mentoring plays such a key role. Teachers that don't feel supported will not be able to effect lasting behavioral changes within their communities.

I hear you geri. Much of what I was referring to in regards to mentors was based on what I gathered and generalised from the article. I am sorry to hear of your experience while your Mum was ill. I have not seen the summary of government advice yet.
I am disappointed that that Texas school is depicted as the example to all US schools. That is not the case in other state or even in other Texas counties. You got my interest going.
I have observed an worked in different schools and found much variety in approach to behaviour management. It differs from district to district even school to school. Mentors have been great in some, weak in others.

Having read the article about the police in schools in Texas, all I can say is, isn' t that extreme! A comment is made in the article that 'childhood behaviours are being treated as criminal' and that is so true. From what I have read the majority of the incidents are simple disruptions that could be handled much more effectivly by the school, the teachers or the parents. These children are not even being given the opportunity to explain themselves in some instances, the moment something happens the police are called and the children are given tickets. Some of these tickets even lead to a criminal records which I think is quite simply ridiculous. Surely the schools are equppied to handle the majority of these behaviours such as children not wearing tags or spraying perfumes in the classroom, as adults we would ever be arrested for these things so why is it alright for children to be?

The article goes on to say that 'Many of those who appear in front of Meurer have learning problems. Children with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of police in schools'. It seems to me that many of the teachers are using the police force in their school as a quick solution to disruption regardless of what the consequences will be for these pupils. Some of these vuknerable children would probably be better equipped for their adult lives if the teachers helped to support them more in school by teaching them the expected behaviours rather than having them arrested.

Very well put. I totally agree. Extreme. It is an outrage for the students with disabilities.

could we go the same way? According to government stats nearly 1,000 children were suspended from school for abuse and assault every school day in 2011. If the problem is at home eg domestic violence, gangs, parents mental illhealth, drugs, sexual exploitation etc, then we are sending 1,000 children and young people a day out of safety and into danger. If we put then in harms way are we responsible? cheers, geri

On some (some) level I can understand how these schools have moved to the extreme however I still find the treatment for those pupils absurd. In playing devil’s advocate perhaps the teachers might be feeling vulnerable, I don’t know the context teachers have to work in Texas, however, there is still no excuse to say teachers should solidly rely on police reinforcement to teach children the consequences of childhood behaviour. What message is this telling the children? Arresting children for committing small offenses will undoubtedly have a knock on effect and will affect their future paths, as suggested in the article about going to colleges.
In considering the knife, weapon and gang crimes in the UK- one has to think is this where UK schools going to end up- arresting 4 year olds. What is happening to the education system?
I agree with Geri’s point we as teachers don’t’ have the control of our class, the control are in the hands of the students. Therefore without resulting and opting to the easy option of calling the police, the teachers should be taking charge and dealing with the offences. In the risk of sounding brutal isn’t this, what UK teachers are having to deal with day in and day out of being a teacher, without the luxury of wavering behaviour concerns. Isn’t behaviour management apart of a teacher’s role? One has to wonder? At times my role differs from being an educator, nurturer, guider, supporter, and so on. Perhaps this is just me, with the needs in my class.
It is depressing to think the damages schools are creating at the expense of children, and leaving the effects that will be irreversible.
I believe for some children school are viewed as escapism, from real life problems, and who are not shown the correct paths to take, and choices to make. In this day, in considering the statistics of pupils who are suspended, to ensure these children are given the best start in terms of their life-long education I believe a teachers current role has branched out from purely teaching the curriculum.

Yes I do believe that too. escapism from real life problems. School may be the students only safe haven. Teacher could do a bit on branching out.

What they don't mention is how many times these learners asked for help and were told, "Sorry, there is no support for 11 yr old substance abusers. Come back in 2 years" or "You are on the list or counselling. Wait 6 month!"
When the child in example A became a NEET at 13, it broke my heart. I eventually used my own money to start a youth centre for children at risk and we never turn any child away. With one to one support, our young offenders made so much progress that they were asked to switch on the Christmas lights in recognition of their support for the elderly. There are better ways but they require a lot of time and love.

May I add an Asian and African dimension here? In Asia, discipline problems are extremely rare because of the Confuscist life style and a hierarchy of respect. Teachers are called "Sun sent nim" and are seen as being just below the president. Their behavior and work ethic are exemplary. Students bow to teachers when greeting them and teachers bow back. The government also asks motorists to start work 30 minutes later during exam times to prevent students from suffering stress during traffic jams. All students who are stuck in traffic may request a police escort. Education and teachers are valued. In the UK, I would discipline a student, only to have a parent or staff member completely undermine me. I stuck to my guns and those same parents thanked me or doing so! Police in Texas have been called in because staff and parents have lost control. Many of the learners have disabilities and I would argue that they especially need a stable environment. Anyone working as a supply teacher will know that some schools are so bad that even good students "kick off" so by all means, punish misbehavior but what are the teachers and parents doing to take their authority back from the police and instil discipline? In Korea, poor behavior is seen as a disgrace on the family. I have had emails where mothers have apologized for their failure to govern their children because homework was handed in late. That is why we don't have these problems. It is the same in Africa where a good education is the only way out of poverty. Don't punish the children with criminal records - force the parents to enforce discipline and support them where needed.Teachers, gain your respect and dignity back by showing a united front and supporting each other. It is hard but it can be done!

Well said Claire! On my earlier comment in the first hot seat i mentioned it’s down to the parents to set the foundations of behaviour and it’s a crucial and valuable point in supporting a child's education.

Further to my comment on Claire's thread, I would be most grateful if you all, including you Geri, would help me in my research by describing any formal or informal school ethos, vision, motto your schools may have, and how it is it articulated. As mentioned, my focus is Organisational Development in the context of school improvement and I am investigating the values and effects of school improvement through its 'vision' 'ethos' 'motto' 'journey' etc. Does your school have a clear vision that permeates through the staff and student bodies? If so, would you say it is articulated in a way that has real effects in the classroom, in terms of behaviour (for learning) attendance, punctuality etc.? Do you know how the school vision was arrived at? Were you introduced to it upon joining the school? Are the students engaged with it? Does it feature in the school's promotional literature or around the school?

Geri, I like your notion of 'underpinning active learning and great achievement'. Would you say that a school needs a 'vision' or specified 'ethos' in order to secure this? If so, what, how...? If not, why???

I know that I've written a lot but I thought it was about time I contributed! Also, I'm happy to offer by way of example, the current status of school improvement and vision in my school (secondary) but I'm holding off so as not to lead anyone when answering the above question.

Thanks for engaging and helping,

Amir.

Amir, please go to www.seoulforeign.org and www.metropolitanraucall.co.za.

I would prefer to keep my uk school unnamed to protect colleagues but my youth centre is www.heywoodyouthlink.org. Our project manager is my best friend and she will happily support you with any research.

Hi Amir, I work in a primary school and in joining the school I was introduced to the school priorities (motto/vision you could call it) using the first letters for the word I M P A C T.
I-INCLUSION
M- MONITOR (progress)
P- PLACES (Learning Environment)
ACCELERATED (the pace)
C- COMMUNITY COHESION
T- TEACHING and LEARNING

IMPACT is visible and displayed around the school for the pupils, staff, visitors; it is featured in the weekly newsletter for the parents; presented in the school prospectus; mentioned in the weekly letter for staff. Teachers use it as a foundation in planning meetings, SMT used it as basis as part of the priorities for school improvement, governors refer to IMPACT during parent governor meetings. I would say it is a prominent feature within my school. Hope this helps your research.

Also in terms of behaviour- I would say IMPACT does have an effect – in how the school’s vision is articulated to the children, through how they learn, through the classroom layout, the way teachers deliver the lessons, in monitoring accelerated learning, and much more. Furthermore in joining the dots, all this does have a direct impact of children’s behaviour, attainment and progress.

Are you referring to Seoul foreign school?

no- i work in a mainstream primary school in london.

One of the goals of heywoodyouthlink is to engage NEET learners. Very often, perpetual truants are caring for parents with mental illness and substance abuse. If they tell someone, they know the welfare will remove them to a place of safety and who will care for their parents then? We arrange for care for their parents which allows them to return to school. We offer mediation for bullying or difficulties with teachers and we are very firm that we will not support children who disrupt learning!We also offer OCN registered courses in youth work and mentoring that allow young people to use their own difficulties to support others - and they earn a qualification! All our courses were designed by a dyslexic for dyslexics.
Truants are often struggling at school and they cannot face returning to a mountain of coursework. Our volunteers consist of parents, teachers and TAs. We liaise with staff and help young people to catch up in our study rooms. We also have a beautician who will give girls a makeover so that they won't get disciplined for their makeup and piercings etc.
Attendance cannot be bribed or threatened. When children feel safe and understood, they will come to school. If schools have a strong pastoral system that supports families in distress, children will no longer keep secrets and they will ask for support. Mentoring is a powerful tool that has worked very well in Heywood.

One of the goals of heywoodyouthlink is to engage NEET learners. Very often, perpetual truants are caring for parents with mental illness and substance abuse. If they tell someone, they know the welfare will remove them to a place of safety and who will care for their parents then? We arrange for care for their parents which allows them to return to school. We offer mediation for bullying or difficulties with teachers and we are very firm that we will not support children who disrupt learning!We also offer OCN registered courses in youth work and mentoring that allow young people to use their own difficulties to support others - and they earn a qualification! All our courses were designed by a dyslexic for dyslexics.
Truants are often struggling at school and they cannot face returning to a mountain of coursework. Our volunteers consist of parents, teachers and TAs. We liaise with staff and help young people to catch up in our study rooms. We also have a beautician who will give girls a makeover so that they won't get disciplined for their makeup and piercings etc.
Attendance cannot be bribed or threatened. When children feel safe and understood, they will come to school. If schools have a strong pastoral system that supports families in distress, children will no longer keep secrets and they will ask for support. Mentoring is a powerful tool that has worked very well in Heywood.

Hi all,
It’s a great discussion! I hope all of you who are grappling with the weaknesses in our system and the possibilities for doing better are going on to leadership. I know Claire you are already doing that with NEET students, well done.
What we are really talking about, and what you identify Amir, is leadership. There is a world of difference between leadership and management. If we manage behaviour with detentions and exclusions we are not changing the behaviour. To change behaviour we have to engage with it understand it, and teach the child or young person an alternative, more appropriate, behaviour and we have to support them while they are learning this new behaviour.
Detention etc are useful as a management tool. Teachers have to have a clear, robust, fair, system of consequences and rewards to support them. But,unless you engage with the child to change the behaviour it just happens again and again. So here we are in schools with a revolving door to the inclusion room, until the child or young person acts inappropriately once too often and we call them ‘persistent disruptive’ and make them NEET. The only way to break the cycle is to lead. It’s about having a vision and communicating it and working to that vision. It is about inspiring and being accountable and standing behind your teams. We need good leaders. We have some. We don’t have enough. The old management saying is, ‘A leader does the right thing, a manager does the thing right’. Its best if you can be and do both, but being a manager is not enough. Have a look/listen on youtube at some great leadership people, Ken Robinson, Daniel Goleman and David Whyte. And don’t forget we lead in 1-1 work with students and we can also make change by leading from the bottom-up in an organisation, it’s just harder.

Thank you Geri. I got a lot out of this session. Very insightful.

Hi all, I agree Jessica, I have really enjoyed this hot seat, in particular reading about others experiences in different countries and relating it to my own. Thanx

One of my behaviour management idols is actually the school secretary. With one look, she can subdue the most irate child/parent and yet everyone adores her! She has this innate authority that we all love and respect. Thank you for pointing out that we cannot and must not ignore those who lead from the "bottom-up" as their 1-1 input is so powerful and deep. The teaching assistants that I know deserve medals for the extra time and love that they put into the most needy children - some of whom are just "dumped" on them by reluctant teachers.

No intention to hijack the conversation, but,

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Reading the US article about the issuance of fines for "disorderly behaviour" made me shudder. I think this is an indication of breakdown in management and policy. School children will want to misbehave, what has to be clear to them from the onset is the expectation that the school has from them. On admission to schools, pupils should understand the ethos and mission of the school, respect for themselves and others should permeate the school. Every member of staff should be singing from the same hymn sheet regarding the ethos and mission of the school.Sometimes, pupils need to be shown and reminded of acceptable behaviour over and over again for them to inculcate into their everyday life. Parents also have a role to play in teaching their children basic etiquettes, manners and acceptable behaviour and not leave the teachers to do this. The mission, ethos and policies of schools need to be made transparent and visible to staff and pupils. It's not enough to have it in the handbook, prospectus or website.

I am just interested to know how people feel about the mixed messages that schools sometimes send students. For example, legally a child cannot engage in sexual intercourse and yet girls as young as 13 are being referred to the school nurse for an implant (without telling the parents!). It is illegal to smoke on public property and yet many schools have smoking areas. NHS hospitals display signs that warn that verbal abuse will not be tolerated and yet certain schools allow children to verbally abuse staff to their heart's content.Unfortunately, many special needs children have learned that they can get away with some very disruptive behaviour because they have a statement!Instead of getting the structure that they desperately need, some SEN children are actually taught how to play a victim role when it suits them.
  Should teachers be allowed the same legal protection as bus drivers, paramedics and postal workers and should a teacher ever be allowed to refuse to teach an individual learner (with or without special needs?). If we are going to enforce behavioral codes then surely we need the authority to enforce these codes without being undermined every time a child asks, "What are you going to do about it?" At what point does the child need to take some ownership for their behaviour - even if they do have a statement? How do we get the balance right?

Hi Claire, Hi everyone,
It’s so difficult being a good teacher. Sometimes when I’ve stood in a classroom where a young person is acting out their own chaos, taking that breath and summoning up the energy to help them get back to calmness, is such an effort. We all have those ‘beam me up Scottie’ moments. In my current job I go into lots of schools, auditing their behaviour and attendance. One of the most important factors to a calm, happy school is consistency. You can feel it. It’s the surety of boundaries. Everyone knows the rules, everyone knows the consequences, everyone knows how to get the rewards. Everyone who does x gets a detention; everyone who does y gets a celebratory postcard home. There is no arguing, no ‘miss blah blah lets me wear my hood’ , ‘mr blah blah doesn’t mind if we do that’. Everyone in the consistent school accepts the rules and sometimes kids break them and then they accept the consequences. The consequence; detention, call home or whatever is going to happen regardless, so the kids just get on with it and then because its calm there is room for the conversation about what happened, why they are cross today, why you are less patient today. It’s like magic dust. We all love boundaries to feel safe. Kids will push against them, just as we did, and sometimes its unpleasant but if the ‘what happens next’ is agreed and set, at least you are not trying to draw the boundaries yourself in some mad, ad hoc ‘if you do that I’ll confiscate this’ kinds of threats which you can’t deliver on.
If we can teach kids to say sorry we will help them get through life more easily. So if we say it and ask them to say it [grudgingly at first, I know] then the habit of ‘sorry’ becomes about being aware of the impact we have on each other. Schools are intense places. We work with kids through the illnesses and loses and wins and hormones of their lives. We are often cramped, under-resourced and badly fed but we are often the only protective factor in their lives. We all hear the voices of our teachers in our heads all our lives, remarks made to us by teachers become part of how we see ourselves.
It’s really quite difficult to get a statement of special needs, so the kids who have a statement are a tiny part of the population. A tiny number of people with huge challenges in their lives. It’s not fun to be unable to access learning because of difficulties or to have pain or to have to take pills every day, but they are just kids and they are trying to work themselves out too. Of course they’ll kick off, or even try to manipulate; they’re kids. You are their looking glass, they look to you to see if they are acceptable, it’s important to reflect back positive regard. It can be difficult. The school is paid extra for accommodating statemented kids because they can need extra support. If they have a brittle barrier it probably means they’ve been through a lot. There is a lot of loss around special needs and often anger, but that’s not a given. Look past the needs and the unattractive behaviour and look for the talent, that’s the fun bit. geri

In my first year I had a student, whose behaviour was uncontrollable including trashing the classroom, being physical towards me and the other children. At the time I felt if I refused to teach this child, in some way I would be letting him down, eventually through placing various strategies his behaviour did change. However, it is a good point you made on legal protection, I never thought of it that way. In linking it back to the Texas reading, perhaps these are the steps schools are forced into taking. And your right Claire, this is an extremely tricky aspect (getting the balance right) which some schools struggle with.

I guess my cultural bias really comes out here. In Africa, the choice is education or poverty and children get extraordinary grades despite overwhelming obstacles...and their behaviour was always exemplary! (Again, because of consistency! People knew the rules and the rules were rarely changed unless there were extraordinary circumstances!It was a very tough love approach). In the UK, children with difficulties were definitely in the minority and they did not have the coping mechanisms of children in Africa. I sometimes felt that they were receiving "pity" instead of sympathy and that this "pity" was just enforcing the message, "Poor you! You can't do it so don't even try!"Furthermore, discipline codes were frequently altered because people felt sorry for them and because of this, they never learnt from their mistakes until it was too late. In Africa, the attitude would have been, "You can do more than you realise and we won't give up on you!We are going to treat you the same as everyone else because you are just as valuable" (In other words - "tough love!"). I guess after seeing children care for HIV/AIDS parents and siblings and then study in their 5th language by candlelight with no running water (and let's not forget that some of them did have special educational needs!), I have very high expectations. These children are now adults with Engineering degrees and careers in actuarial science because they were pushed continually (and lovingly!) whereas the children in the UK who were pitied and "dumped" in easy classes are currently unemployed...mostly because employers do not feel as though they should pay a salary to someone who has been trained to give up as soon as things get tough. So, my next question is: "How do people feel about tough love? Is it something that only works in Africa or have any of you noticed it working in other contexts?" Secondly, should it be taken for granted that special needs kids will just "kick off"? Surely, someone has some proactive experiences that have prevented children from getting to the point where they need to throw chairs around? I would really appreciate any ideas and feedback. I am still trying to reconcile my African and European experiences within an International Asian context and I really do benefit from other people's experiences.

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