Safe Positive Schools

Background to Safe Positive Schools Committee

• Brochure - Safe Positive Schools

INTRODUCTION

It is important that Catholic schools look to the message of the Gospel and to Jesus' life as a source of information and inspiration for developing policies and practices. Catholic schools have a unique opportunity through shared beliefs and common faith to develop mutual support among staff, students, parents and the community.

In 1995 the Saskatoon Catholic Schools Principals' Association undertook a systematic process to involve parents and community agencies in a dialogue on issues related to safe, positive schools. School-based focus groups encouraged discussion on the following themes:

• wellness
• prevention and early intervention
• intimidation, bullying and victimization
• violent behaviour
• codes of conduct

Consultations were organized by principals during a five-month period (January-May, 1995). In total, over 40 community meetings involving over 1000 people were held as part of the consultation process.

Safe, positive schools are places where teachers can teach and students can learn free of intimidation and fear. They are built upon a spirit of acceptance and concern for all students and are places where behaviour expectations are clearly communicated, consistently enforced and fairly applied. The challenge of creating safe, positive schools must ultimately be pursued in the context of a commitment to create safe, positive communities. Only the broadest possible coordinated response of educators, parents, students, and community leaders and agencies can produce a lasting effect.

Summary of Consultation Process

1. Wellness

   Student well-being (or wellness) can be defined as one's confidence to cope with the basic challenges of life. Wellness is a key to mental health and is an important element in how children and adults deal with the pressures of daily life, social relationships, learning and acceptance of responsibility. The participants in the consultation process agreed that the well-being of students requires on-going working relationships among staff, parents, community agencies and government departments.

   Participants identified a range of supports, including: classroom programs, support for families, parenting classes and parent information centres. It was suggested that processes be developed to encourage parental involvement and to reduce barriers between home and school.

   Some participants suggested that a Family Assistance Program be made available to parents and that parents be provided with specific information on discipline procedures and the behaviour expectations of their children's school.

2. Prevention and Early Intervention

   Safe, positive schools require that students possess appropriate social skills. Participants supported the idea that social skills be part of the school curriculum.

   There was strong support for parent education programs, particularly for parents of students with severe behavioural problems. Indeed, many participants suggested that these parents should be required to attend parenting classes as a condition of their child attending school.

   It was also agreed that parents need to be informed about the behavioural expectations of students in order to support and reinforce the school staff in their efforts to deal with students' behaviour.

   There was great concern expressed about violence in the home but opinions were mixed regarding the role of the school in this area.

3. Intimidation, Bullying and Victimization

   Less overt forms of violence are often described as the most pervasive impediments to safe, positive school environments. Participants agreed with the seriousness of: shunning, excluding, teasing, name calling, intimidating and the difficulty schools have in addressing these behaviours.

   A range of suggestions were offered to address intimidation, victimization and bullying. These include: setting clear expectations, improved supervision, quick responses, staff training, parental involvement and programs for victims and parents.

   It was also noted that parents of students who bully others may be uncooperative or may attempt to intimidate staff. Teachers need the support of parents; school and home need to work together.

   The problem of bullying and intimidation clearly concerned everyone, the typical reaction being: "the goal should not be to reduce it but to eliminate it".

4. Violent Behaviour

   The violent behaviour that mars society can find its way into schools and onto playgrounds and makes them unsafe places for students and staff.

   Participants categorized violent behaviour as: verbal abuse (put downs, name calling, teasing, stalking); intimidation; physical violence (hitting, kicking, fighting, inappropriate touching, etc.); use of weapons (sticks, knives, etc.); vandalism (destruction of property).

   There was strong consensus that violent behaviour must have consequences for students, and that the consequences be logical, fair, and appropriate for the age of the child. There was less agreement on the nature of the consequences. Suggestions included: contact with parents, removal of privileges, exclusion from classroom or school, requiring parents to provide in-school supervision, legal or police action, community service, mediation, zero-tolerance, and restitution.

   Participants emphasized the need for clear rules or guidelines for schools which would reflect the expectations of parents, staff, students, and the norms of society. Consequences need to be supported at home and students need to be treated fairly with Christian love.

   There was no consensus on suspension from school as a consequence. Rather, a common suggestion was "suspension to something, rather than suspension from school". The provision of more tutors and counsellors was a frequently expressed request.

5. Code of Conduct

   A code of conduct is a clearly stated set of behavioural expectations for all students which includes consequences for inappropriate behaviour.

   There is strong support for the principle of a School Division code of conduct. However, it was emphasized that the code would need to be a general statement and that each school should develop a code specific to its school community.

   A school code must involve parents and students in its development and reflect the views of the community.

RECOMMENDATIONS

As a result of the consultative process the Principals' Association developed a number of recommendations which guided the next steps. The recommendations included:

• sustaining positive practices
• social skills programs for students
• the role of home/school organizations
• developing codes of conduct
• support for parents
• interventions for at risk students
• interagency cooperation
• funding
• the role of media

SUMMARY

There is strong agreement that ensuring safe, positive schools is inseparable from the issue of violence in the larger community. To ensure safe, positive schools, all stakeholders including parents, teachers, students and community agencies must be involved. Meeting the challenge of creating safe, positive schools must ultimately be pursued in the context of a commitment to create safe, positive communities.