Text 1. Discipline policies

1. Before you read the text, make sure you know the following words and word-combinations. Give their Russian equivalents.

A truant, to condone truancy, to have an adverse effect on smth, to turn to vandalism and crime, to establish sound behavioural codes, disruptive behaviour, bullying, racial and sexual harassment, to engender a sense of purpose, commendation and encouragement, disruption, to withdraw a child's privileges, corporal punishment, to be struck off the school roll, a one-off misdemeanour.

2. Discuss the following questions with a partner using the vocabulary from the previous exercise.

1. What might be some of the reasons for starting playing truant?

2. How should parents and teachers deal with truancy?

3. How can children learn to behave well?

4. In what cases do schools have to resort to expulsion (or permanent exclusion)?

3. Read the text below and compare your answers with what is said in the text.

* * *

Truancy

It's always distressing to find out your child has been playing truant. Whatever the root cause, never condone truancy. Not only will it obviously have an adverse effect on school work, but all the evidence suggests that truants, with long purposeless days to fill, often turn to vandalism and crime.

Many schools have excellent, and sometimes ingenious, strategies for coping with truancy - one comprehensive in North Wales, for example, sends a text message to the parent whenever a pupil has an unexplained absence. But no system will be truly effective unless parents play their part. So be meticulous about writing absence notes and don't hesitate to contact the school if you suspect your child is missing lessons. Make sure that the child realises that you and their teachers are keeping an eye on their attendance - children only truant when they think they won't be found out.

And take a look at the messages you put out to your children: Welsh Education Minister Jane Davidson, who has announced a crackdown on truancy in Wales, is particularly bothered about the number of parents who take family holidays in term time.

Condoning truancy: a bad idea

A recent Government survey revealed that nearly 80% of truants stay off school with their parent's approval which, of course, is against the law. It's such a major cause of concern that the Government is considering plans to reduce or even stop the child benefit paid to parents of regular truants. What's more, it's estimated that 20% of criminal damage, 40% of street crime, 25% of burglaries, and over 30% of car thefts are carried out by 10-16 year-olds during school hours.

The law

By law, all children of compulsory school age (between 5 and 16) must get a proper full-time education. The parents are responsible for making sure this happens, either by registering the child at a school or by making other arrangements which provide an effective education. Failure to do so could mean that the relevant local education authority takes legal action against them, which could result in having to go to court to face a possible fine.

Discipline at school

Parents and schools share the responsibility of promoting values and standards which will help young people to establish sound behavioural codes for their lives. It's important that parents work in partnership with their child's school, and not just leave the school to it - discipline problems can be dealt with much more effectively if both parents and school are pulling in the same direction!

We are all part of society and our behaviour will reflect current values and mores. Young people are particularly impressionable and vulnerable - much of their behaviour is learned, and they'll copy and act out what they observe to be fashionable and attractive.

Successful schools have high expectations of discipline, and promote good relationships between children and staff. They know that it's not just about how children behave in school - it's about sound preparation for later life.

When bad behaviour by a child is becoming a permanent feature of their lives, it's important to consider the root causes of that behaviour, as well as the ways of dealing with it. Is the child experiencing learning difficulties? Are they having relationship or sexual problems? What about drugs?

School discipline policies

Disruptive behaviour is a concern to schools and parents - and to fellow pupils, whose education may be adversely affected. So it can't be ignored, and schools must have a well understood behaviour and discipline policy. As well as broader issues of discipline, a school's policy should address bullying, racial and sexual harassment and the sanctions the school may apply if these things occur.

Everyone needs to be clear about what is and what is not acceptable. Most youngsters appreciate the need for a disciplined school, understand fair play and are often ready to acknowledge their misdemeanours.

Thinking positive

Schools with a positive ethos engender a sense of purpose and of pride in their staff and pupils - everyone feels valued. Praise is a great reward and will usually generate a positive response, and schools which emphasise the positive are usually good at discipline too.

Sometimes staff negotiate behavioural targets or written contracts with a child and give rewards for behaving well. Some schools reward pupils with stars, and others points, tokens, vouchers or certificates by way of commendation and encouragement. Parents can have a valuable supportive role in helping children to achieve these targets.

It is important for young people, whatever their ability, to feel that they can succeed. Persistent failure generates disaffection. Equally, it is important that children understand that positive attitudes and behaviour are good in themselves, and not just about getting praise or a reward.

Some schools encourage young people to monitor their own behaviour, which can be both a positive and a worthwhile part of pupils' learning.

Bad behaviour

Everyone needs to understand that there's a clear link between behaviour and consequence. Pupils must learn that if their behaviour is unacceptable, an appropriate punishment will follow.

No-one wants to over react to small misdemeanours, where humour can often defuse tension, but serious disruption needs to be dealt with straight away.

Where bad behaviour is repeated, communication between schools and parents is vital - staff and parents are in partnership. Sometimes written correspondence or a telephone call from one partner to another can avoid problems escalating.

When unacceptable behaviour persists, a teacher may withdraw a child's privileges, impose sanctions, or put them on report for closer monitoring. Teachers may tell a child to attend a detention at the end of a session. By law, they must first give parents at least 24 hours' written notice, which should include the reason for the child's detention.

Corporal punishment is illegal - nobody should contemplate hitting a child. On rare occasions, reasonable force is allowed in school to control or restrain when other approaches have failed. This should never be a punishment, cause injury, or be intended to humiliate. If it happens, parents should be notified and told why the action was necessary.

Exclusion from school (for a fixed period or permanently) will always be a last resort, taken only in response to serious indiscipline or when possible harm may occur. Head teachers and local education authorities have to follow strict procedures on exclusion, and parents always have the right to appeal against their child's exclusion.

Permanent exclusion

This is what we used to call expulsion - the pupil is struck off the school roll. For a school to take this step is exceedingly serious and the head teacher will only take things to this stage if every other measure they've tried to reduce the bad behaviour of a very difficult pupil has failed.

A one-off but very serious misdemeanour by a child could also be dealt with by a permanent exclusion.

When a child is given a fixed period exclusion, the school must set work for them to complete at home. If a child is permanently excluded, it is up to the local education authority to decide how best to educate the pupil. The authority could arrange admission to another school, or in some cases it may choose to admit the pupil to a special referral unit for more concentrated teaching in smaller groups.

(http://www.psparents.net/Discipline.htm)

4. Translate into English.

1) Деструктивное поведение детей представляет собой грубые, очевидные и систематические нарушения базовых поведенческих норм. 2) В современном цивилизованном мире телесные наказания детей отходят в прошлое. 3) Даже в элитных школах дети зачастую делают, что хотят и прогуливают уроки, когда им захочется. 4) Очень распространенной формой наказания детей в семье является лишение ребенка части родительской любви, однако частое применение такого наказания может оказать неблагоприятное воздействие на психическое развитие. 5) В процессе воспитания важно как наказание, так и поощрение, хотя взрослые часто не видят повода для похвалы ребенка. 6) Решение об отчислении ребенка из списка учащихся школы оформляется по строгой процедуре. 7) Ученика следует исключать из школы, если он нарушает дисциплину уже не один раз и делает это намеренно. 8) Если ученик сорвал урок впервые, то достаточно обыкновенного наказания, например, вызвать родителей в школу или оставлять его каждый день на три часа после уроков в течение всей недели. 9) Если ребенок не выполняет своих обязанностей, его можно наказать, например, лишив поощрения или привилегий.

5. Choose a statement from the text above and comment on it.

1) …it's estimated that 20% of criminal damage, 40% of street crime, 25% of burglaries, and over 30% of car thefts are carried out by 10-16 year-olds during school hours.

2) … humour can often defuse tension…

3) Corporal punishment is illegal - nobody should contemplate hitting a child.

4) Pupils must learn that if their behaviour is unacceptable, an appropriate punishment will follow.

5) Praise is a great reward.

6. Imagine you are a group of teachers in a school.

1. Look at the offences below. Decide if each example of bad behaviour is: very serious/serious/minor/harmless

   1. running in the corridor

   2. fighting on the floor in the classroom

   3. swearing at a teacher

   4. throwing a piece of paper across the classroom during a lesson

   5. smoking in the school toilets

   6. stealing from other pupils

   7. singing during lessons

   8. cheating in an exam

   9. looking out of the window when the teacher is giving a lesson

   10. forgetting to bring homework to the lesson

2. Now decide with your group which punishment you would impose on the pupil in each of the situations.

For example: Running in the corridor

‘I think running in the corridor is a minor offence so I would give the pupil lines to write. He would have to write 100 times “…I must not run…”’

TEXT 2. 'EDUCATION ASBOS' FOR UNDER-18S

Read the following text and comment on it. Compare the issues discussed in it with the current situation in this country.

British government has radical plans to raise the school leaving age.

Thousands of teenagers will be criminalised under plans to force them to stay in education until they turn 18, teachers and parents have warned.

Teenagers who refuse to continue in school or work-related training will be served with an "attendance order", which has been dubbed "the drop-out's Asbo", under plans outlined by Education Secretary Alan Johnson.

If they breach this order and refuse to study for a recognised qualification, 16 and 17-year-olds would be guilty of a criminal offence. They would then face court or a £50 fine.

The proposals came in a Government Green Paper which set out plans to raise the compulsory education leaving age from 16 to 18 - the first increase for 35 years.

But NUT general secretary Steve Sinnott said ministers had taken "entirely the wrong approach".

"The Government appears to want it both ways: voluntary involvement in education and training post-16 but being criminalised if you don't take part," he said.

"Criminalising young people is no way to ensure committed involvement. It will only serve to alienate and undermine any desire disaffected young people may feel towards continuing their education."

"Potentially this could criminalise thousands of teenagers. If they don't stay on until 18, they will face fines. This will hit those families who are the least able to afford it," she said.

Mr Johnson said it should be unacceptable to see a 17-year-old out of school, college or training as it now is to see a 14-year-old skipping class.

(http://www.thisislondon.co.uk)

Rendering

Render the following texts and comment on them.