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Todayβs aspect of selecting a school for your child is less about a question that should be asked, and more of an observation of the learners themselves when you are out and about in the community and visiting the school. Part 4 of this series focuses on:
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Your child will spend over a thousand hours at school in the course of the school year, and as much as the onus for developing certain skills such as manners rests with parents, the reality is that the school environment will have a huge impact on these vital aspects of your childβs development as well. First and foremost, of these is discipline and I am a big believer in the success of a school being firmly tied to the basic discipline instilled in its learners. When you are looking at similar schools, within similar communities, the deciding factor in what makes a school an average school as opposed to a neighbouring school is a great school is often down to the discipline of the learners.
This is not to say that I am advocating for draconian discipline structures within the school β quite the opposite as research has repeatedly shown that institutions that focus on the smaller discipline issues have far lower incidents of more serious discipline problems, such as bullying. My personal philosophy has always been that if you look after the βlittle thingsβ in a school, the bigger issues will sort themselves out. Unfortunately, if you adopt a softer approach that gives children a lot of leeway for minor indiscretions, the result will be that discipline issues are left to manifest for too long so the problems will become more serious and therefore, the consequences more dire or drastic.
The easiest way for me as an educator to determine if the discipline in a school is βup to scratchβ is to look at the way in which the learners are allowed to leave school at home time, and how they present themselves when in the community. School uniform is vital to building a sense of pride and respect for the school, and should be protected as such. If you look at a group of Grade 1s starting school for the first time, they always arrive at school with their uniforms looking immaculate and they are so proud to be wearing their uniform. It is up to the school to enforce good habits that will ensure this happens throughout the childβs remaining years at the school. This does not happen by accident and it takes a concerted effort by all members of staff to reinforce the school uniform policy throughout the year to instill this sense of discipline in their dress. For me, it is a big red flag if learners are allowed to look scruffy and unkempt, especially if they are in the presence of their teachers. That is not to say every school child should be expected to be in a bright new uniform throughout the year, this is simply not financially feasible for the majority of families. However, even if an item of school clothing is well-worn, it is still possible to wear it neatly.
The greeting of adults by learners has always been an important yardstick in South Africa as to the politeness of children, for good reason. When walking around the school, take note of whether the children greet the adults, especially their teachers, or not. Bear in mind though that prior to Open Days and the like, children are drilled to be βextraβ polite and respectful! The way in which the child greets their teachers will tell you a lot about the relationships between staff and learners. You are aiming to see a relationship that is warm, but respectful. Children are not very good at hiding their true feelings, so you will be able to tell with ease if they are terrified of the adults they interact with at school, or if they have such a casual relationship that there are not enough boundaries in place. Outside in the community, the values of the school are evident in the way children treat the adults they interact with. Just yesterday I was in a shopping mall where there were numerous learners from a particular high school, and the lack of discipline in the school was evident in the way the learners were happy to push adults out of their way to get somewhere or walk in huge groups across the aisles hindering other shoppers (why they were in a shopping mall during the school day is a completely different red flag!).
I am well aware of the argument that respect is earned, not given β but surely, we should also be teaching our learners that everyone is to be respected, until they prove themselves to be unworthy of this respect? Basic humanity relies on us to treat people with decency, not just the people we know or fear.
Your childβs moral compass and ability to function in the outside world will be determined by the values instilled in them at both home and school. It is imperative that the school you decide to send your child to mirrors the values of your family. When families and schools are working in tandem to develop these skills, well-mannered individuals with self-discipline are the result.
By all means make sure that you are au fait with the schoolβs discipline policy and code of conduct prior to enrolling your child in the school β especially with regards to aspects of discipline such as the bullying policy. However, always remember that policies are guides and do not give an accurate reflection of how well the adults in the school implement those policies. The attitude and discipline of the children you interact with is a far better yardstick for the level of discipline within a school. And the level of discipline within a school dictates the conditions under which your child learns β we all want classrooms in which every child is given an equal opportunity to thrive, which is not possible when a few disruptive parties are constantly interrupting the learning process.
In summary:
The difference between an average school and a great school is evident in neatly-dressed, polite learners.
