Independent thinking

Schools vs Parliament

AS WE continue to be surrounded on all sides by relentless election campaigning, it is interesting to observe the enormous disparity between what is demanded of schools and their staff and what we receive from our political masters. Much focus, as ever, is being placed on

accountability – schools must be accountable not only to the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and Ofsted, or other inspectors, but to parents and pupils. The Labour Party manifesto promises

that parents will be given the right to vote for the management of a school to be replaced if they are dissatisfied with it. Parents and pupils in both the state and independent sectors already complete questionnaires which are submitted anonymously to school inspectors giving their frank views on every aspect of a school, including the teachers. The views expressed in such questionnaires

can be quoted in published inspection reports and are given due weight. Indeed, a parent can also make a complaint to the DCSF about any school, state or independent, which can trigger an official visit or inspection. How does this compare with

Parliament’s accountability or that of individual MPs? If a significant number of citizens become dissatisfied with the government, can they trigger a ballot to remove that government? If a significant number of constituents feel dissatisfied with the performance of their local MP, can they organise a vote to remove them from office? The answer to both these questions is, of course, no. I have also referred to a “significant number” in both cases, whereas a school inspection can be triggered by one disgruntled parent. Vast amounts of data are collected annually about

the performance of each of our schools: we have no choice – the examination boards and other agencies supply the information direct to the government, who then publish these data which are quickly turned into league tables.

The performance of each school is analysed in

the press as well as contributing substantially to the judgements of inspection reports. Where do we see data published about MPs’ performance? How many times do they attend the House of Commons? How many questions have they asked or how often have they spoken? How often do they vote and do they ever consult their constituents as to how they should vote? How many surgeries do they hold for their constituents and what proportion of problems do they actually resolve? How much do they claim in their expenses? Put all this together and one would have a fascinating league table. As schools become ever more entangled in red tape, targets and bureaucracy, our Parliament seems

amazingly unaffected. I mentioned attendance earlier –

what are the truancy figures like for MPs – do any of them take holidays in term time or unauthorised absence? If so, are there any penalties? While much is made of the unruly behaviour of pupils in some classes, MPs themselves behave appallingly on the floor of the House, shouting and interrupting and trying to prevent speakers being heard –

hardly a shining example to the young. We in education have been subjected to change after change in recent years,

with little choice or consultation. Very little has changed in the way that the country is run. Fairness is a buzz-word in the election and others talk much of redistribution – it would

be wonderful to see fairness in the distribution of accountability and to see those who make the laws becoming rather more answerable for their actions. A vote every five years using an arcane and

unequal system is not “citizen voice” – could not we citizens have similar powers to pupils and parents?

• Marion Gibbs is headmistress of the independent James Allen’s Girls’ School in London.

Stress affects us all

Moral support

AND SO it begins. The 2010 General Election campaign is now in full swing with manifestos launched, promises made and posters sporting a variety of colours and emblems displayed. As ever, education is a key focus for parties, allowing us all to compare, contrast and speculate as to what changes will occur in our schools post-May 6. As I watch and read the news coverage, I can’t

help but feel for the candidates and imagine the intense pressure that the campaign must bring. Some have been preparing for this moment for months, years even, while others have been “parachuted in” at the last minute and are now playing catch-up. Having trekked around the

country to the teacher union conferences during Easter, I empathise with those more senior figures who find themselves dashing all over to meet, greet, persuade and be berated by potential voters. This is an essential and often rewarding part of the job, but it doesn’t mean it is not also tiring, sometimes frustrating, and it takes us away from our loved ones. All of the candidates face two

more weeks of campaigning before their fate is decided. They face long days, evenings and weekends, having little time to themselves, not having enough time to spend with the ones they love, feeling tired, sometimes emotional, eating on the hoof, feeling the pressure building within them, and not necessarily knowing how to cope. Fortunately, this is only temporary, although I suspect those who top the ballot will find that there is more of this to come. I’m sure if you ask any of the candidates,

“was it worth it?”, the answer would be a resounding yes. They’ve made a commitment to something they believe in. They have asked others to believe in them, to campaign for them and vote for them. I wonder how their resilience would fare if the

pressure continued. If the lack of work/life balance, long hours and sleepless nights continued without an end in sight? For too many teachers this is the reality. A key theme emerging from the union conferences

was the stress experienced by teachers and the impact it has on their long-term health. NUT delegates highlighted long working weeks and the poor management of teachers experiencing stress, while ATL delegates were the first to experience Teacher Support Network’s new Preventing Stress workshop. Research by the NASUWT backed up our own evidence and showed that the pressures of inspections and school accountability have a “profound impact on teachers’ work and on the quality of their working lives”. While many teachers are able

to carry on and stay connected to their passion for education and improving the lives of young people, for others this can get lost in the fog of stress and anxiety which can affect even the most experienced teacher. Calls to our Support Line and

use of our online support services continue to rise as teachers seek solutions to the difficulties. Every situation is different, but the best approach is always to try and take a

preventative approach. Setting some simple rules for yourself can really make a difference. Despite our best efforts, even the

most resilient of us will experience stress from time to time. Spotting the signs of stress and dealing with

them early on is important. Don’t be afraid to speak up when times get tough. Knowing who you can talk to and where to turn for support is an important first step in

dealing with any problems. And to those who make it into the Palace of Westminster, spare a thought for the teachers working to support and develop the

next generation. Consider the pressure they can face, and also the fulfilment that can be achieved when things go well, and consider what contribution you can make to making things better.

• Julian Stanley is chief executive of the Teacher Support Network. Visit www.teachersupport.info or call 08000 562 261 (England), 08000 855088 (Wales). Moral support returns in two weeks.

BEHAVIOUR

Prevention is

Chartered psychologist

Dr Sam Bishop and criminologist Dr John

Coxhead argue that prevention of offending can be enhanced by empowering school professionals

staff could lead on by linking the theories of criminology and education. An educational model to crime reduction has been

T

established to date in the more common forms of moral development and curriculum-based learning on socially acceptable behaviour through citizenship, PSHE and the use of secondary and primary SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) recourses. It has become evident that these strategies do work

to develop awareness of societal norms, particularly when supported by understanding the role of familial and social/economic influences beyond the school gate. However, there is a striking overlap between the risk factors associated with failing in education and the risk factors to offend (YJB, 2000). It is a little like two sides of the same coin. The

consequence of failing in education is associated with a stronger likelihood of offending, and equally the factors that steer away from offending in the first place, or rehabilitate away from ongoing offending is educational achievement. Educational failure can promote negative attitudes toward school and a lack of respect for societal norms (Hirschi and Hindelang, 1977). We also know that low attainment can lead to low self-esteem and the labelling of “problem children”. Curriculum-based learning toward crime prevention

via proactive intervention can be linked to development of Safer School Partnerships (DCSF, 2009). However, we have also learned that many top-down educational model strategies are ineffective. Graham (1997) listed a number of factors that

“don’t work”, including certain types of educational information campaigns, and points to the need to focus on not changing attitudes but behaviour. NACRO (2000) stresses the links between educational difficulties and onset of offending, in particular citing the impact of bullying (within and beyond school) and exclusion. The benefit of working backwards from

criminological insight to inform education means early intervention becomes wholly proactive. A medical analogy would be consulting about your health before becoming ill in order to stay healthy. For example, to take the criminological concept of anomie (Durkheim, 1935) and apply this to dysfunctional behaviour in schools, or withdrawal from schools, reveals an overlap of theoretical insight of use to practitioners. Durkheim argues education should serve to prepare

and socialise. Failure to do can cause anomie (in short meaning a mismatch between the individual and the integration within societal norms). Of course, research does not attribute crime to schools, but the point is that one of the early roots of anomie can be tracked here. Interventions targeting risky behaviours, such as

sexual behaviour, often weave in social influences, low expectations and aspirations in order to offer a broader view and application (Fletcher et al, 2008). Further, although we know that individual personality

factors play a role in risky behaviour, it is clear that social influences are a major factor in, for example, sexual behaviour. Findings show that teens who live in disadvantaged communities are more likely to become pregnant and give birth, similarly teens who live in a high crime rate area are more likely to engage in sexual behaviour (Billy et al, 1994; Sucoff & Upchurch, 1998). Familial, social and economic factors all play their

role and have to be considered and respected. Research also informs us that the most influential period for moral development is through early adolescence developmental stage (10 to 14). This is the most influential period for social conformity. Therefore, it is increasingly clear that intervention

needs to take place in early adolescence. Developmental changes and moral development is neurologically and

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developmentally in process. Long-term success of interventions into risky behaviour is highest when in place with 10 to 14-year-olds. The mid-term of this range is an approximation of guided interventional age targets. By 13 this vulnerable group may already be involved in risky behaviours, therefore teaching against risky activity is too late for some to be effective. As young people develop self-efficacy they will

need to learn from their surroundings and environments which exemplify how consequences are positive and negative. Social Learning Theory is proven to influence behaviour, attitudes and development of moral and physical consequences of one’s own actions. The influence of deviant peer groups is well

documented and if you consider this major behaviour lead alongside increased family conflict as the child becomes more independent of mind, discovering increased autonomy there is little surprise at the behavioural and developmental fall out. They will have many new stresses and diminishing

lack of respect for parental discipline, the increased social influences, developing attitudes and values lead to a strong tie to deviant behaviour groups who are seen rebellious, escapism and less controlling. Once again, the labels become attached and a self-

fulfilling prophecy emerges. Nevertheless, there is evidence to suggest that the school setting can also be an influential factor in emerging behaviours. Younger children require extensive instruction in

order to allow for their cognitive immaturity, training in decision-making, problem-solving, short and long-term consequences of risky behaviour is vital. Simply telling horror stories to rely on fear arousal is

often ineffective the older a child becomes, it is another element of the education model that we have to learn is of less use when applied to inappropriate age groups. However, targeting aspirations of early adolescence

may be one move toward proactive intervention. It has been shown that with risky sexual behaviour in young women, mentoring systems and positive role models can lead to an increase in aspirations and the acquisition of new behaviours and more choices. This increase in aspirations can, in turn, impact

SecEd • April 22 2010

HIS ARTICLE explores the links between potential risky behaviours displayed in young people, crime reduction and proactive intervention strategies. We consider the future development of prevention and the role that educators and school support Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16