‘Misbehaviour of Australian Students’
“The nation’s classrooms have been ranked as among the most disruptive in the world in the latest international report card on Australian schools, with a third of all students saying they do not listen to the teacher in most lessons.” - Sydney Morning Herald, December 2023
Britain’s School Behaviour Chief and Advisor, Tom Bennett, is currently visiting Australian Public Schools to offer advice. Bennett rose to prominence as the independent behaviour adviser for the UK Department of Education.
His visit comes at a time when State and Federal Education Ministers are grappling with the misbehaviour of Australian students. Australia ranked 71 out of the 81 nations surveyed regarding classroom discipline.
To be successful, Bennett says, schools must explicitly teach the behaviour, insist upon it, and then value that behaviour in students when they exhibit it. For a lot of teachers, they only talk about behaviour when a student has broken a rule. He said, “Punishments are designed to enact revenge and settle scores, you don’t do that in schools. However, you might have a sanction as a deterrent.”
In an ABC interview yesterday titled, ‘Bad behaviour: How should teachers reclaim control of the classroom?’ Bennett outlined some important practical measures as seen below:
- Clear school boundaries, systems, and routines.
- Students taught to take responsibility for actions.
- Students need to know they matter, but it’s important they understand that they matter within a community.
- Because they matter you will hold them to high standards.
- Teaching of behaviour is good school practice (and parenting practice).
- The use of natural consequences.
- With compassion and high standards, students will respond to you - the sweet spot!
In a UK independent review (2017), Bennett highlighted eight ‘Commonly found features of the most successful schools’. These features are deeply embedded at Mosman Prep:
- Visible leaders
- Clarity of culture
- Detailed expectations
- Consistent practice
- Attention to detail
- Staff Engagement
- High staff support
- A belief that all students matter
As I shared with you last term, we hold some fundamental beliefs about supporting positive behaviour. Considering the current media articles on student classroom behaviour, it will be helpful for you to be reminded of these beliefs.
Our Belief about Children
- Every child wants to succeed. Some require more help than others to develop the skills needed to do so.
- We need to help every child see and believe in his gifts and to know that we believe in him.
- Wellbeing, relationship, and connection form the foundation for students to thrive.
Our Belief about Support
- A deep understanding of our boys is critical to successfully guiding their behaviour (knowing the backstory).
- Class teachers need to build and nurture relationships, gaining trust and respect, and guard against erosion of relationships.
- Partnership with parents, professionals and colleagues is critical (it takes a ‘village to raise a child’).
Our Belief about Education
- Clear and consistent boundaries, predictable structures, and high expectations (personal excellence) are critical.
- Effective learning experiences appropriate to boys, sets them up for success.
- Fear and punishment are not effective ways to change behaviour, teach or to grow character.
- Force and control create resistance, but great relationships build trust and influence.
- Proactive programs are more effective than reactive responses.
- Natural consequences are a part of life and important for children to understand and experience.
- Poor behaviour choices are an opportunity to teach/skill up, not to punish.
- When you treat a child with dignity and respect, it changes their heart.
Last week I received a very affirming email from a parent of a 2023 Year 6 Graduate, as seen below.
“Dear Peter, I had been meaning to email you to let you know how well my son has transitioned to his secondary school, and to high school life. His own observations in the first weeks of Term 1 were that the Mosman Prep boys had been trained in how to behave in class, and he was shocked at how boys from other schools spoke out in class, backchatted teachers, and so on. Talking to other Mosman Prep parents from his year, a few of us have seen the difference compared to other boys.
It seems that even the boys coming from the Prep School attached to the Secondary School have been less prepared for the levels of homework and logistics of finding your way around a larger school campus. Many of the Mosman Prep boys appear to have taken to high school like ducks to water.
He has expressed appreciation for the behaviour instilled in them by his Prep teachers.
I spoke to three of his secondary school teachers at a Parent-Teacher conference yesterday and they all expressed appreciation for his commitment to homework and his general behaviour and effort.”
Our Behaviour Management approach seeks to advance the wellbeing, and personal and social development of our boys and to support a culture of high expectation and excellence in their learning and social interaction.
Peter Grimes | Headmaster
References:
Bad Behaviour: How should teachers reclaim control of the classroom? - ABC Radio Interview with Tom Bennett (May 2024)
Tom once sat at the back of his classroom and cried. He has a message for Australian teachers – Sydney Morning Herald (May 2024)
Creating a Culture: How school leaders can optimise behaviour - Independent Review Into School Behaviour - Tom Bennett (UK, 2017)
Commonly Found Features of the Most Successful Schools (expanded version)
Features include:
- Committed, highly visible school leaders, with ambitious goals, supported by a strong leadership team.
- Effectively communicated, realistic, detailed expectations understood clearly by all members of the school.
- Highly consistent working practices throughout the school.
- A clear understanding of what the school culture is ‘this is how we do things around here, and these are the values we hold’.
- High levels of staff and parental commitment to the school vision and strategies.
- High levels of support between leadership and staff, for example, staff training.
- Attention to detail and thoroughness in the execution of school policies and strategies.
- High expectations of all students and staff, and a belief that all students matter equally.
