viour around and have increased academic achievements at the same time. For example, the Ninestiles Technology College in Birmingham has simple learning rules which learners have to adhere to. The rules cover such basics as listening in class and bringing pens and rulers to lessons. Sine 1994 when the Behaviour for Learning started, the proportion of pupils getting five A* to C-grade The question of discipline in schools is a fairly serious one. Reading on BBC’s website some archived news stories on schools in the UK, it is amazing to see that some teachers are being attacked, bullied, harassed in cyber space and in general are having a tough time of it. A particular horrific report states that a female primary teacher had been assaulted 150 times in six months by the same pupil.

What has educators particularly worried is a documentary about to be flighted on Channel 5 on April 26, 2007 which shows the chaos that reigns in some schools. Learners were filmed secretively to show an unsensored view of their bad behaviour.

Another report states that it is the fault of parents who create “foul-mouthed, feckless, potentially violent youths” and this according to the Shadow Education Secretary Collins. His idea of sorting out the violence and bad behaviour in schools is to get parents to sign a contract guaranteeing good conduct in schools. The Conservatives are also talking about introducing a Teacher Protection Act. Bizarre suggestions.

Besides contracts for parents to sign, there are also calls for CCTV cameras in school grounds. And here we thought there were enough of those in the UK. Besides these measures, metal detectors should be installed at entrances to schools as well as buildings to be secured, presumably meaning security guards, fences, walls etc.

Yet there are examples where schools, situated in areas with social problems, have managed to somehow turn this trend of bad behaviour around and have increased academic achievements at the same time. For example, the Ninestiles Technology College in Birmingham has simple learning rules which learners have to adhere to. The rules cover such basics as listening in class and bringing pens and rulers to lessons. Sine 1994 when the Behaviour for Learning started, the proportion of pupils getting five A* to C-grade G

the same pupil.

What has educators particularly worried is a documentary about to be flighted on Channel 5 on April 26, 2007 which shows the chaos that reigns in some schools. Learners were filmed secretively to show an unsensored view of their bad behaviour.

Another report states that it is the fault of parents who create “foul-mouthed, feckless, potentially violent youths” and this according to the Shadow Education Secretary Collins. His idea of sorting out the violence and bad behaviour in schools is to get parents to sign a contract guaranteeing good conduct in schools. The Conservatives are also talking about introducing a Teacher Protection Act. Bizarre suggestions.

Besides contracts for parents to sign, there are also calls for CCTV cameras in school grounds. And here we thought there were enough of those in the UK. Besides these measures, metal detectors should be installed at entrances to schools as well as buildings to be secured, presumably meaning security guards, fences, walls etc.

Yet there are examples where schools, situated in areas with social problems, have managed to somehow turn this trend of bad behaviour around and have increased academic achievements at the same time. For example, the Ninestiles Technology College in Birmingham has simple learning rules which learners have to adhere to. The rules cover such basics as listening in class and bringing pens and rulers to lessons. Sine 1994 when the Behaviour for Learning started, the proportion of pupils getting five A* to C-grade

s” and this according to the Shadow Education Secretary Collins. His idea of sorting out the violence and bad behaviour in schools is to get parents to sign a contract guaranteeing good conduct in schools. The Conservatives are also talking about introducing a Teacher Protection Act. Bizarre suggestions.

Besides contracts for parents to sign, there are also calls for CCTV cameras in school grounds. And here we thought there were enough of those in the UK. Besides these measures, metal detectors should be installed at entrances to schools as well as buildings to be secured, presumably meaning security guards, fences, walls etc.

Yet there are examples where schools, situated in areas with social problems, have managed to somehow turn this trend of bad behaviour around and have increased academic achievements at the same time. For example, the Ninestiles Technology College in Birmingham has simple learning rules which learners have to adhere to. The rules cover such basics as listening in class and bringing pens and rulers to lessons. Sine 1994 when the Behaviour for Learning started, the proportion of pupils getting five A* to C-grade

in school grounds. And here we thought there were enough of those in the UK. Besides these measures, metal detectors should be installed at entrances to schools as well as buildings to be secured, presumably meaning security guards, fences, walls etc.

Yet there are examples where schools, situated in areas with social problems, have managed to somehow turn this trend of bad behaviour around and have increased academic achievements at the same time. For example, the Ninestiles Technology College in Birmingham has simple learning rules which learners have to adhere to. The rules cover such basics as listening in class and bringing pens and rulers to lessons. Sine 1994 when the Behaviour for Learning started, the proportion of pupils getting five A* to C-grade

viour around and have increased academic achievements at the same time. For example, the Ninestiles Technology College in Birmingham has simple learning rules which learners have to adhere to. The rules cover such basics as listening in class and bringing pens and rulers to lessons. Sine 1994 when the Behaviour for Learning started, the proportion of pupils getting five A* to C-grade GCSEs or equivalent has risen from 9% to 76.5% - above the English national average of 53.7%.

What happened in this college was probably that the management took charge of the problem and introduced a campaign which was enforced from the top down. And it worked. The basic principle here is in fact exactly as all business works. The CEO determines the culture and ethics of the company.

Senior management in a school, with other words school heads, need to establish the discipline and culture of learning in the educational institution. Too often school heads are appointed from the teaching body and are placed in management positions without or with just minimal support. Headmasters should be attending MBA classes to learn how to manage their school. In larger schools heads have thirty to fifty teachers reporting to them, with hundreds of learners. In real terms that is a fair size organisation.

I don’t think that locking down schools, metal detectors or CCTV cameras are going to make any difference. And before everybody yells at me for talking out of turn, I taught at high school for four years. I have some idea what the system is about. What will help is to instal a management culture that provides rules and regulations that all can adhere to. After all, in a company, if a staff member steps out of line, the company will have a corporate manual against which the behaviour will be jduged and if found wanting, disciplinary action will be taken. Why should schools be different. Besides which, it actually works, as