THE EDUCATION Ministry has decided to apply a “disciplinary” system in schools to replace more traditional forms of punishment.
The ministry has come to the decision taking into consideration the International Convention on Children’s rights, international trends and practices, as well as universal democratic principles.
The plan is based on the conception that schools are “learning and reforming centres”, not prisons.
The new scheme includes measures such as dialogue between students and teachers, reprimands, written warnings which are also made known to parents, common agreements signed between students and teachers and expulsion from the class.
The ministry suggests that students should be expelled from school for a maximum of eight days instead of 15, as current regulation provide.
The decision also calls for the creation of a number of internal bodies to handle disciplinary cases.
One of those bodies operating on class level will be made up of the class supervisor, the school counsellor and all the class’s teachers. This body will suggest measures to support and reform students displaying anti-social behaviour and take disciplinary action such as expulsion for a maximum of four days. The body will co-operate with a school psychologist.
Severe cases will be handled by the school’s disciplinary council and the teachers’ body.
The system’s avowed aim is to prevent personal confrontations between students and teachers and boost the role of educators.
The ministry’s decision is not expected to be implemented immediately.
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