UNRULY STUDENTS - THE CONSEQUENCES AND MEASURES PROVIDED FOR ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOURS - THE APPROACH OF THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION - Filenews 11/8 by Evangelia Sizopoulou
One of the most important chapters of school life, apart from the pedagogical process and the cultivation / development of skills, is discipline. An issue that is not left to the... but is regulated by the operating regulations of public schools, through which guidelines are given to both students and teachers.
Especially in the case of public primary schools, in the school guide accessible to children and parents, there is a specific chapter dedicated to this topic. As mentioned, discipline, although it is the result of education, is a prerequisite for the promotion of school work and the appropriate behaviour of children.
It is clarified that the appropriate behaviour of children is pursued through pedagogical persuasion and the goal is to develop, in every student, the ability for conscious self-discipline. The exercise of any form of psychological, verbal and physical violence in schools, especially by adults, is expressly and categorically prohibited.
It is worth noting that the Ministry of Education has prepared a framework of a general code of good behaviour, which has been sent to primary schools and based on this, at the beginning of the school year, a committee appointed in each school formulates a draft Code of Conduct and Ethics of the school. The draft Code of Conduct and Ethics of the school is the subject of discussion and processing within the classes.
The final Code of Conduct and Ethics of the school is communicated to all parties involved (students, teachers, parents) and commits them all to its implementation. In addition, each section of the primary school decides on the Special Code of Conduct and Ethics within the class. The provisions of this Special Code are formulated by the students of each class under the guidance of the teacher in charge and bind everyone to its proper implementation, in order to ensure the smooth operation of the class.
Classified measures and consequences
Regarding the consequences and measures provided for in cases where antisocial behaviours occur, the guide clarifies that they should be pedagogical and graded. It is noted that "the pedagogical measures/consequences, which have a remedial and not punitive character, are applied in a systematic way and without time delay, so that the behaviour is directly linked to the pedagogical measure/consequence. When the student violates one of the codes of good behaviour, the teacher, after exhausting all means based on persuasion, can use pedagogical measures/consequences, depending on the consequences of the child's behaviour."
The pedagogical measures/consequences provided for are:
• Non-verbal warning from the teacher (for example by looking)
• Oral or written remark by the teacher
• Moving away for a few minutes from classroom activities or changing position
• Deprivation of privileges or rights
• Individual reflection activity
• Corrective activity (such as restoring a previous situation, apologizing)
• Oral and written (in a closed envelope) information of the parent/guardian by the teacher
• Remark by the principal privately or in front of a parent/guardian
• Regular presence of a student in front of the school principal to remind the expected behavior or to reflect on the day
• Temporary detention of items that are not allowed at school and handing them over to the parent/guardian
• Compensation for material damage caused to the property of the school or others, which is paid by the student's parent/guardian
• Community service during the operation of the school, under the supervision of a teacher
• Discussion process in the presence of teachers and/or the school's management team and the parent/guardian
• Staying in a suitable place during the day for a period, in the presence of a teacher. During this time, the student is involved in activities of a pedagogical nature
• Deprivation of participation in school events or activities for a period daily from one to five consecutive days
• Departure of the student for the specific day from school, accompanied by the parent/guardian/other authorized person
• Stay of the student for safety reasons for additional days outside school (one to two days)
• Implementation of an alternative education program for the student within the school
• Change of student's class
• Change of the student's school.
