Watch Dennis Hayes, Education Forum convenor and founder of Academics for Academic Freedom, speaking on academic freedom in New York:
Thursday, 26 June 2008
NY Salon event: 'You can't say that!'
Reviews of The Dangerous Rise of Therapeutic Education, by Katherine Ecclestone & Dennis Hayes
'Infantilised' students and staff rapped, Melanie Newman, Times Higher Education, 12 June 2008
Schools' therapy culture leaves children unable to cope, Laura Clout, The Daily Telegraph, 12 June 2008
Emphasis on emotions creates 'can't do' students, Alexandra Frean, The Times, 12 June 2008
Class therapy 'harming children', BBC News, 12 June 2008
Infantilised students unable to cope with life, book claims, Anthea Lipsett, Education Guardian, 12 June 2008
Childish recruits: Are we infantilising our children?, Personnel Today, 12 June 2008
The lessons in happiness that are making pupils miserable, London Lite, 12 June 2008
Are we breeding a new generation of infantilised students?, My Child, 12 June 2008
Lessons in happiness making children unhappy, Laura Clark, Daily Mail, 11 June 2008
The Dangerous Rise of Therapeutic Education, by Kathryn Ecclestone & Dennis Hayes is published on 14 July 2008. Routledge, £18.99p
Schools' therapy culture leaves children unable to cope, Laura Clout, The Daily Telegraph, 12 June 2008
Emphasis on emotions creates 'can't do' students, Alexandra Frean, The Times, 12 June 2008
Class therapy 'harming children', BBC News, 12 June 2008
Infantilised students unable to cope with life, book claims, Anthea Lipsett, Education Guardian, 12 June 2008
Childish recruits: Are we infantilising our children?, Personnel Today, 12 June 2008
The lessons in happiness that are making pupils miserable, London Lite, 12 June 2008
Are we breeding a new generation of infantilised students?, My Child, 12 June 2008
Lessons in happiness making children unhappy, Laura Clark, Daily Mail, 11 June 2008
The Dangerous Rise of Therapeutic Education, by Kathryn Ecclestone & Dennis Hayes is published on 14 July 2008. Routledge, £18.99p
Adults, not metal detectors, are what schools need, says Nicki Mason
Carrying a knife is never a good idea when not on a camping trip. Most children learn this easily at an early age outside school and often without discussing it. Circumstances lead them to discover it is good to be alive, and they begin to value their own and others’ lives. For the majority of schools therefore, knife crime is absolutely not a problem, and knives feature only on the long list of items not allowed in school, along with drugs, alcohol, fireworks, chewing gum and dangly earrings.
Not all children hear the message, however, and a small minority of schools do have to deal with incidents involving knives and the circumstances surrounding them. In my experience the young person who carries a weapon does it for their own 'protection' because they feel threatened. Few have given any consideration to the most likely outcome of a confrontation - that a person or group of people bigger and stronger than them take it and use it against them. Once this is brought to their attention by an adult it is often enough to change their behaviour on the spot.
Children are capable of reason. Introducing metal detectors is to abandon reason and to send the wrong messages:
- A metal detector at the school gate says it is acceptable to carry a knife on the street.
- A metal detector at the classroom door says it is acceptable to carry one in the corridor.
They do not teach that carrying a knife is never a good idea, and is likely to lead to crime or death. Metal detectors do not change behaviour. Inspirational and passionate teaching of subjects, together with consistent enforcement of clearly expressed rules and discussion of reason, does. Young people are guided by the adults around them. They are inspired by adults who take a genuine interest in their lives and opinions. Every young person needs at least one adult to take a genuine interest and give sensible advice. Many find that adult in a school.
An account of the June 2008 Education Forum discussion, School knife crime ‘overplayed’, by Hannah Richardson, is available on the BBC News website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7457616.stm
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)