THE AGE education editor, Adam Carey, reports that a global survey shows Australian classrooms are among the least disciplined in the world.
Learning time is lost to noise and disorder and a high proportion of students cannot work well in class.
Australia ranked 70th out of 77 participating nations in the OECD’s 2018 index of disciplinary climate.
Coupled with the abysmal level of Australian students learning Maths it is high time that discipline is reintroduced into all classrooms.
The Community Advocacy Alliance Inc. (CAA) will introduce police veterans into selected schools in 2020. Our program (PVISP) was launched on the 23rd of November 2019 and seeks to instil in students the basic tenets of good citizenship and provide students with the skills to avoid either becoming involved in crime or being victimised.
The presence of police veterans in schools delivering this program is certain to have a beneficial effect on the behaviour of students. Helping to create a disciplined school environment will allow teachers to teach and students to learn without the other distractions an undisciplined environment creates.
Schools must also play their part and tighten discipline in all classrooms.
More disciplined students will lead to them becoming more disciplined adults to the benefit of society at large.
The genesis of self-discipline is the imposition of external discipline.
Support for the CAA’s PVISP will make a difference.
As much as our ranking is disturbing, it is not surprising. The respect for authority has significantly eroded in Australia in general and in Victoria in particular, What we are witnessing on a daily basis in Australia is unprecedented. I believe that we are all to be blamed. We as parents are somehow failing to instil good manners and teach good citizenship to our children. Our legal system which looks after the offender rather than victims, is also to blame. The sentencing in Australia is a laughing matter, only encouraging those with no regards for our laws to offend time and time again. Due to political correctness which rules our everyday lives police are often powerless to take a more decisive action when warranted. Poor teachers are constantly of the receiving end of abuse and bad behaviour by those in their care, powerless to take any action for the fear of causing children untold psychological damage…
Police Veterans in School Program (PVISP) is a most welcome initiative taken by retired police volunteers with accumulated experience and wisdom to make a difference.It stands to reason that we cannot expect changes in behaviour overnight but teaming with the teachers and community leaders, we can at least start working towards the change; towards the common goal. No wonder that more and more schools are enthusiastically embracing the Program in the absence o serving police interacting with the children in schools. Sadly, that most worthwhile police program was discontinued some time ago by Victoria Police. Let uis all get behind the program, support it and promote it. It can make a difference!!