Don’t punish school bullies ... it’ll harm their self-esteem!

New ultra-PC rules on discipline for teachers

TEACHERS have been ordered not to punish children for misbehaving – even if they are bullies.

New guidance describes ‘traditional’ punishments – such as making disruptive pupils miss break, or sending bullies to the head for a talking to – as ‘dangerous’ and ‘ineffective’.

It also warns that such sanctions ‘can make children feel bad about themselves’.

Instead, staff should try ‘restorative conversation’ in an attempt to stop the bully feeling ‘resentful’.

Pupils who might have faced detention or been sent home should now talk to specially trained staff who ‘facilitate the process in a carefully scripted approach’.

Those behind the scheme say it is more effective than traditional punishments which, they argue, can make the problem worse.

But critics warned that the scheme risked pandering to bullies at the expense of their victims – and would drive down educational standards.

Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said: ‘The Scottish Government are no doubt well-intentioned and none of us likes to punish children if we can avoid it.

‘But the no-blame culture is a protection mechanism for the bully and ultimately you have to look after the majority.

‘There has to be a very clear line. If you break the rules and you’re bullying somebody, or children aren’t learning because you’re disrupting the lesson, you need a punishment.

He added: ‘The Scottish Government has a serious issue with edudone, cation. It’s in crisis – and one reason standards have fallen is because of poor discipline in the classroom.’

The ‘restorative’ approach, advocated by Education Scotland, emerged as part of the Scottish Government’s review of Personal and Social Education.

The guidelines, published on the quango’s Parentzone Scotland website, say: ‘Many people may believe that children who bully others must be punished for their behaviour.

‘This type of response can be ineffective, dangerous, breed resentment and make situations worse as a child or young person can be resentful of punishment rather than reflective of their actions. ’

Training for staff includes developing their listening skills, empathy and use of body language.

The aim is to ensure pupils accept responsibility for what they have recognise the harm it caused and help them ‘find restorative responses to harmful actions’.

But Norman Wells, director of the Family Education Trust, said: ‘Education Scotland seems determined to ensure children should not feel bad about themselves when they misbehave. But shame is a healthy response to bad behaviour.

‘If you eliminate any sense of shame and guilt, children will be less likely to take responsibility for what they have done and less likely to recognise the need to change their attitude and behaviour.’

Jane Peckham, teaching union NASUWT’s national official for Scotland, said there was ‘no one size fits all’ approach to discipline.

She added: ‘Where pupil behaviour has fallen short it is for schools and headteachers, with teachers, pupils and parents, to make professional judgements as to how best to address this and support pupils.’

An Education Scotland spokesman said: ‘Schools have a responsibility to address any bullying issues and support children and young people involved. A restorative approach is just one of the methods that can be used to help promote positive relationships and repair harm where there has been conflict.’

‘No-blame culture is a protection for the bully’