XN000022-1982-12-17 — Page 25

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1982

WAYS TO STEM OUT DISCIPLINE PROBLEMS IN SCHOOL

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DISCIPLINE PROBLEMS IN SCHOOLS WILL BECOME RARE AND DISCONTENT AND ANXIETY WILL NOT FLOURISH IF SCHOOLS CAN ESTABLISH A SITUATION IN WHICH STAFF AND PUPILS ALL WORK TOGETHER IN MUTUAL RESPECT AND FRIENDLINESS, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR MICHAEL LEUNG SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

SPEAKING AT THE CLOSING CEREMONY OF A SEMINAR ON +TOWARDS A HAPPIER LIFE IN SCHOOL+ ORGANISED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL HEADS, MR LEUNG SAID MANY WHO TOOK PART IN THE SEMINAR HAD EXPRESSED THE NEED TO ESTABLISH A RELAXED ATMOSPHERE IN SCHOOLS IF STUDENTS' STRAIN WAS TO BE RELIEVED.

HE SAID: THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE IF TENSION EXISTS BETWEEN PUPILS AND STAFF, BETWEEN SENIOR AND JUNIOR STAFF, AND AMONG STAFF IN GENERAL.+

MR LEUNG SAID SUCH AN ATMOSPHERE, GENERALLY KNOWN AS +ETHOS+ OF A SCHOOL, COULD BE ACHIEVED THROUGH FIRM AND ENLIGHTENED LEADERSHIP GIVEN BY THE HEADS, THROUGH A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE SCHOOLS OBJECTIVES BY THE STAFF, WHO WOULD THEN BE ABLE TO TRANSMIT THIS SENSE OF PURPOSE TO PUPILS DURING THEIR DAY-TO-DAY TEACHING AND CONTACT WITH THEM.

HE SAID YOUNG PEOPLE NEEDED AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THEY COULD FEEL SECURE AND IN WHICH THEY WERE CONVINCED THAT THE IR ACTIVITIES WERE PURPOSEFUL.

+THEY ARE QUICK TO NOTICE AND CATCH TENSIONS OR UNCERTAINTIES AMONG THE TEACHING STAFF. YOUNG PEOPLE, TOO, NEED TO FEEL RESPECTED, TO HAVE THEIR OPINIONS SOUGHT AND TAKEN SERIOUSLY.

+THIS IS WHY I HAVE REFERRED EARLIER TO FIRM AND ENLIGHTENED LEADERSHIP. BY 'ENLIGHTENED I MEAN LEADERSHIP WHICH TAKES FULL ACCOUNT OF THE VALUE OF CONSULTATION OF THE 'LED', MR LEUNG SAID.

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