6th February 2020

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.