• Howick and Pakuranga Times
A NEW approach to discipline at a high school has seen suspensions drop and students happier in their work.
Howick College has been using a different system to deal with bad behaviour since the start of the year. Through a programme called restorative practice, misbehaving pupils are shown that breaking the rules is a violation against their peers, teachers and the wider school community.
Sharon Jones, who has spearheaded the scheme’s roll-out, says the college is moving away from a traditional “punishment” model.
While detentions and suspensions are still in place for serious misdemeanours, minor misbehaving is dealt with using restorative practice.
Ms Jones says students are taught to recognise the harm they have caused — and are told the harm needs to be repaired.
“It gives them a chance to put it right,” she told the Times.
“We want to raise achievement in this school. [To do this], kids need to be happy and settled.”
Students are encouraged to “reflect, repair and reconnect” with their peers and teachers.
When they misbehave, they are taken out of class and spoken to by a teacher, who asks questions such as “what were you thinking” and “what can you do to put it right”.
Pupils may be given a period of reflection time, and a worksheet to outline their feelings and give a reason for the rule-breaking.
They may also be asked to speak to the “victim” and think about how their actions affected them.
If a student refuses to take part, parents or caregivers are contacted and a family meeting with the teacher is arranged.
“There has been a real drop in suspensions and detentions,” says Ms Jones. “We’re starting to hear the children use some of the language too.”
The college is one of three Auckland high schools that use restorative practice with students.
A pilot version of the programme was rolled out to Year 9 pupils at Howick College last year.
Feedback has been positive and students feel more fairly treated under the new system.
“The focus is on relationships and on [building] strong relationships,” says Ms Jones.
“We believe the majority of our community is behind us and supports us.”
