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The National Policy for Whole School Evaluation (
Government Gazette, No. 21539 of September 2000) has been implemented to enhance
school effectiveness and provide quality assurance to the education system.
Areas that will be evaluated are indicated in the document and included in the
nine areas for evaluation are areas of school safety, security and
discipline; learner achievement; parents and community. The policies,
procedures and processes that ensure the safety of all children will be
evaluated under school safety, security and discipline. At the same time, the
spin-off from a secure environment will influence learner achievement and
attitudes of parents and the community. Thus, the policy and programme for bully prevention intervention plays a role in WSE and attributes to quality assurance and effectiveness of a school. Policy and Programme formulation to prevent and control bullying in South African schools,
What is bullying? Before one can actively get involved in policy
formulation and support programme development, a clear understanding of what
bullying is needs to be addressed. Extensive research has been conducted and the
researchers have compiled the following definitions: A student is being bullied or victimised
when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the
part of one or more students (Olweus, 1993). Bullying is long standing violence, physical
or psychological, conducted by an individual or a group and directed at an
individual who is not able to defend himself (Roland, 1993). Bullying is the wilful, conscious desire to
hurt another and put him/her under stress (Tattum, 1993). In a nutshell, bullying is a deliberate,
conscious desire to hurt, threaten and frighten someone. Bullying hurts
and it will keep hurting if not nipped in the bud. Three forms of bullying are:
Bullying is not part of growing up and children
will not grow out of it. It is not an overstated problem nor is it a rite of
passage. Bullying is reality and it will not eventually stop if ignored. It
needs immediate intervention regardless if it is rife in your school or not! May
it be damage control or prevention intervention, it needs to be done as priority
number 1, because if ignorance reins disaster is on your doorstep. Consequences of bullying Bullying can impact on a number of parties. Those
affected are the victims of bullying, the bully, family and friends, and the
learning environment. Children who are bullied
have to endure a great deal of misery and they often suffer from one or more of
the following physical, emotional, social and educational consequences. Physical consequences
Emotional consequences
Social consequences
Educational consequences
There are also telling consequences for the bully:
"What is done to children, they will do to
society." (Karl Menninger – Quotes on children, 2001) Both the child being bullied and the bully need
help. You need to be there for them! Intervention Prevention Model – Figure 2 For “bully-proofing your school”
As managers and leaders in the field of education,
you have become familiar with a number of planning and implementation models.
Using the basic framework of these models, I have adapted the diagram to assist
school managers, school governing bodies and school management teams to
effectively “bully-proof” their schools. A School Bullying Policy (Adapted from a policy developed by Pridwin
Preparatory School) A Policy on Bullying and Harassment To this end, we aim to establish a
community in which everybody feels valued and safe, and where individual
differences are appreciated, understood and accepted.
Every child has a right to enjoy their time at school.
This community does not tolerate bullying or harassment. Respect for others is expected. Montrose aims to: Promote an atmosphere and ethos at
the school of warm, loving and caring concern. Promote in each child respect and
empathy for others and the environment. At Montrose School Everyone Has Rights &
Responsibilities Rights
Responsibilities To feel safe
To respect yourself To learn and grow
To respect others To be respected
To use commonsense To be valued
To support others To be different
To show compassion and
Understanding We Do Not Tolerate Bullying It is your right and responsibility
to report bullying, whether it happens to you or to someone else. What Is Bullying? Bullying is any behaviour intended to hurt, injure, threaten or frighten another person in such a way that the person feels that he cannot do anything about it. Do You Bully? Have You Been Bullied? Bullying comes in many forms,
including:
Bullying
What To Do If You Are Bullied
To Prevent Bullying
Support Programmes It is these programmes that make the bullying policy a living document. Support programmes are based on the schools specific needs and resources available. These programmes need to be age appropriate and content needs to be relevant to the situations and circumstances. The success of these support programmes does not need money, it needs initiative, drive and passion. Each educator has been educated as to what a bully is and how to deal with them. A procedure needs to be followed:
Support programmes can take the following forms: o Buddy system/Circle of Friends o Assertiveness training o Life skills development and curriculum activities o Peer mediation o Counselling o Parent circles and workshops o Anti-bullying campaign
o
Bullying support team
(Squelch et al, 2002) “Our ultimate aim is to raise children who
will neither be bullied – nor accept being bullied” (Sue Berne, 1996). Recommendations 1. As bullying is part of everyday life in schools today, policy and support programme development and implementation is imperative. If you have not yet formulated a policy on bullying, do so as soon as possible and don’t wait for something to happen first. 2. Engage all stakeholders of the school in your anti-bullying campaign. Teamwork is the name of the game!
3.
To Ignore bullying is to approve bullying and this is not conducive to
creating a warm, safe and secure environment for your learners. You need to
strengthen the confidence of your parent body and implement strategies that will
prevent bullying and create a safe haven in your school. Conclusion Bullying is in schools and it is something that we
need to be concerned about. Heads of School’s and Governor’s need to take
bullying and children’s rights seriously by adopting a strong anti-bullying
policy that provides the springboard for a whole range of strategies aimed at
reducing bullying in schools and providing a safe and secure learning
environment. It is our responsibility and we need to be
proactive in policy and support programme formulation and implementation. This
will ensure that bullying is minimised and a more confident and self-assured
youth is developed for the future of our country. References
1.
Berne,S.1996. Bully-proof your child. Melbourne: Lothian Books.
2.
Colorosso,B. 2002. The bully, the bullied, and the bystander: Breaking
the cycle of violence. Harper Collins Canada Ltd.
3.
Davis,S. 2001. www.stopbullyingnow.com/interven.htm
4.
Olweus,D. 1993. Bullying at school. What we know and we can do. Oxford:
Blackwell Publishers. 5. Roland,E. 1993. Bullying: a developing tradition of research and management, in D Tattum (ed) Understanding and managing bullying. Oxford: Heineman School Management.
6. SMIT and CRONJE.
1992. Management Principles: A Contemporary South
African Edition. Juta&Co Ltd.
7.
Squelch et al. 2002. A teacher’s and ParentGuide to Bullying.
Johannesburg: Department of educational Sciences, RAU.
8.
Tattum, D. 1993. Understanding and managing bullying. Oxford: Heineman
School Management.
9.
Other websites: http://www.homestead.com/Fortress_of_infinitude/Fi’s_Quotes_on_ Children.html
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