Quadratic equations and away days
Did you catch that item on GMS, prepared by my esteemed colleague, Seonag Mackinnon?
It dealt with the exclusion of pupils from school - or, more precisely, the sharp drop in such exclusions in Glasgow.
In the first four months of the current school year, .
The drop in the primary sector was 15%.
This is nothing short of a transformation. Or, in more modest mode, the beginning of a transformation.
As Seonag explained, one big reason for the change is the introduction of specific learning centres for tackling disruptive behaviour at secondary level, with nurture classes for younger ones.
The strategy would appear to be three-fold. Firstly, those who are causing havoc are withdrawn entirely from their class.
Subduing troublemakers
The learning centres are based away from mainstream schools. Makes sense.
To be brutally frank, time spent by teachers subduing troublemakers is time withheld from teaching those who want to learn.
There may well be sound reasons - background, home life - for the disruption: but that scarcely helps the others.
We can tinker with the exam system all we like, we can hold endless away-days for education staff.
But if there is no atmosphere of sustained discipline in our classrooms then we are completely wasting our time.
It is asking too much to expect our teachers to pass on their knowledge about quadratic equations - or elementary sums - while dealing with those who do not want, for whatever reason, to be in standard schooling and make their feelings plain.
Secondly, I liked the comment this morning to the effect that the learning Centres were not to be seen as "sin-bins".
Loving approach
Think of it this way. A punishment routine will often simply reinforce the aggressive, anti-authority behaviour which is the source of the trouble in the first place.
Kids from troubled backgrounds will be well used to the harsh voice of command - and worse.
They will intuitively respond negatively as they have done all their short lives.
Perhaps it is wise to try something else: to try a listening, loving approach - but one which counters the disruptive behaviour and its causes.
I liked too the notion that these learning centres include social workers plus sports and music instructors alongside teachers and psychologists.
Precisely the sort of combination which it is impossible to deploy in class.
Thirdly, the ultimate aim is reintegration. As Glasgow city councillor Gordon Matheson has commented, we are simply storing up further problems if we resort too readily to exclusion.
Best of luck, Glasgow. Hope it works.
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