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Schools can reduce incidents by adopting a school-wide anti-harassment with a social and emotional perspective.

Almost one-quarter of all K–12 students experience some form of bullying from their peers on a regular basis. That number, reported by the Chicago-based Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) in a recent publication called “Social and Emotional Learning and Bullying Prevention,” is conservative. The figure jumps up to 65 percent when teenagers are the only age group surveyed. That means two-thirds of all teens experience some form of bullying or harassment within the school year, according to a 2009 survey by GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network).

Bullying is not a perennial rite of passage that educators, students, and parents are stuck with. It is, say researchers for CASEL and GLSEN, a physical or psychological torment that includes verbal or physical harassment, social exclusion, and other instances of abuse that create an unsafe atmosphere at school for victims, bystanders, and sometimes perpetrators. The top two leading causes of such abuse? According to GLSEN and Harris Interactive researchers, it’s not race or socioeconomic differences (although those are ranked high). Rather, it’s the way students look (their perceived or actual appearance), followed by their perceived or actual sexual orientation.

How can educators reduce bullying on campus? According to Mary Utne O’Brien, CASEL’s vice president of strategic initiatives and coauthor of the report, schools can reduce incidents by adopting a schoolwide anti-harassment policy with a social and emotional (SEL) perspective. While many states have laws against harassment of gay and lesbian students, O’Brien says it is even more effective when teachers employ SEL techniques in advance of any situation.

“You can’t legislate this type of behavior out of existence,” says O’Brien. “But you can help students — both gay and straight — figure out a strategy of response in advance. That empowers them. It helps them to focus on their schoolwork rather than worry they may become a victim, a snitch, or an embarrassed bystander.” That, says O’Brien, is the essence of SEL — to provide students with the tools to deal with conflicts, to become aware of their feelings, and to create a respectful atmosphere that enables learning to take place. What follows are more strategies that O’Brien highlighted from the CASEL report.

Set Clear Rules:

Dig deep with students and faculty to find out if harassment takes place in your school. Both CASEL and GLSEN point out that most bullying happens under the radar. Teachers don’t hear the negative comments that students make. More than half of all bullied students (57 percent) do not report such incidences, believing that educators are powerless to change the situation. But that is not true. O’Brien says the research shows that harassment does decrease when schools publicize their rules against bullying and clarify the reporting procedures.

Cover Bases:

Understand that while hidden, bullying is a group phenomenon. CASEL found that the most effective strategies to reduce harassment include a “whole school,” or three-pronged approach: a schoolwide component that offers educators training and the means to monitor their school climate; a classroom component that reinforces schoolwide rules and SEL skill development; and an intervention component to help students, both the targets and the perpetrators.

by Barbara Tannenbaum.

Read more @ http://www.edutopia.org/bullying-making-schools-safer

I just got this graphic from one of the loyal readers of Educational Technology and Mobile Learning .The graphic is drawing a comparison between the 20th and 21st century learning and education. This work is realized by Dr W.Rankin a couple of years ago.I have gone through its items and found it really worth sharing with all of you here. Have a look and share with us what you thin of it. Enjoy.

Read more @ http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/04/awesome-graphic-on-20th-vs-21st-century.html

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While learning has its plus points, there are some who think that the modern school system does not extol the benefits of education.

MODERN, public, free and compulsory schooling was first introduced by the King of Prussia in 1760.

He introduced schooling to shape the minds of the people into being docile and obedient to his rule. Shortly after, this concept mushroomed throughout the globe to be adopted by the French, the Americans, and eventually the whole world. Napoleon Bonaparte also embraced this concept 50 years later. In his very own words, “I want to create an educational body that will steer the way the French people think!

Even at the core of its early foundation, indoctrination and brainwashing became the main objective of the formation of the school. Apart from the basic reading, writing and arithmetic skills, schools were to ensure the despot rulers stayed in power.

The schools today with timetables and syllabus and division of classes by age, are very much like the Prussian schools.

The early intention of the formation of school is thus a betrayal to the word “education” itself. Its goals were to deplete the human mind, imprison them and train them to be workers in the Industrial Revolution. It was to mould people into becoming submissive servants; and it still does so, albeit in arguably subtler ways.

Schools today see children being told to memorise answers and solutions to problems, and subscribe to the idea of success that is defined by winning over others, paper qualifications and dollars and cents.

Did you know that 98% of children aged five are geniuses? This finding was concluded by scientist and speaker George Land, who also found that this number dropped to a whopping 30% when a group of 10-year olds were tested.

Only 12% of 15-year-olds are considered geniuses, and out of tested adults, only 2% are geniuses. So what could probably be wrong?

Let’s roughly consider what happens between the ages of five and adulthood. We grow up, we experience new things, we meet more people and most importantly, we go to school.

Now, blaming school for the decadence in human intellect is of course a grossly simplified hypothesis, given that so many other variables also come into play.

But, have we ever considered why the school system has been made so synonymous to education in the first place? We know education is important, but why is school so important?

by Anas Alam Faizli.

Read more @ http://thestar.com.my/education/story.asp?file=/2013/4/21/education/20130420112026&sec=education

Denise Shepherd is executive principal at the Rochester Grammar School in the United Kindgom.

IT takes commitment from everyone in the school from heads to teachers and students to ensure a thinking school is successful.

Denise Shepherd (pic) who is executive principal at the Rochester Grammar School in the United Kindgom, said the institution has been a “thinking school” for the past six years.

Thethinkingschool.co.uk website describes it as “a whole-school approach to the teaching of thinking. This means that thinking becomes central and explicit and all teachers and students develop a common thinking language and toolbox.

As students move from lesson to lesson and teacher to teacher ,they will be using the same tools and strategies as part of a coherent and well-planned approach. This applies to both primary and secondary schools.

“When we decided to become a thinking school, we were already successful but we wanted more.

“We wanted to produce students who could think independently,” said Shepherd who helps to train representatives from a pioneer batch of 10 Malaysian schools selected for the i-Think programme last year.

It is different from other programmes which emphasise thinking skills for an individual, she said, adding that a thinking school means everyone in the school has to embrace the changes.

“Every teacher and support staff has to be involved and this takes drive and leadership for this to happen.

“It is very much about creating adaptable thinkers who can problem-solve and be creative in a world which is changing so fast,” she explained.

The students of today may have careers which do not even exist yet.

“I think it is very foward-thinking for Malaysia to take this onboard and to change with its youth.

“This is all about supporting children to think for themselves and giving them the tools so no one is left behind,” she said.

It is a great step forward and at the cutting edge of education.

Read more @ http://thestar.com.my/education/story.asp?file=/2013/3/17/education/12830683&sec=education

SUBANG JAYA: In the pre-independence era, the national school which was then known as the Malay school, received lack of ‘respect’ from the public.

So were the years after the country gained independence from colonial rule.

Many had the perception that these Malay schools were below par in terms of facilities and quality of education.

At that time, many among the members of the public had thought that English-medium schools were superior in the quality of teaching and learning as compared to that of Malay schools.

However in the midst of Malaysia’s robust transformation in developing into a nation with a strong economy, the national education system for primary and secondary schools was achieving its own transformation.

Since achieving independence in 1957, Malaysia education system has made significant development.

Now Malaysia is among the countries that provide free primary and secondary school education where it is mandatory for children to undergo 12 years of school education (seven years in primary school and five years in the secondary level).

There is no more the Malay school. Now these schools are known as the National School.

In the years of old, parents needed to buy school textbooks and pay school fees. Not anymore as everything is provided free of charge by the government.

“No school fees, no need to buy school textbooks. Everything is given free by the government.

“I am proud when a Kuwaiti national praised the education in Malaysian primary and secondary public schools. This should be also emulated by other developing countries”.

A father of three school-going children, who wished to be known as Abu Hazim told this writer here recently.

Also, several decades ago, there existed a perception that private schools were better than that provided by the government.

Not anymore. Feedback received from the public shows that many parents are confident and satisfied with education in government schools.

Parents are now trying to register their children in government schools that show excellent academic achievement in public examinations such as the UPSR, PMR and SPM.

“Teachers who have the appropriate qualifications and ability to educate are available in national schools. This augurs well for children in primary and secondary government schools”.

Read more @ http://www.newsabahtimes.com.my/nstweb/fullstory/66446

The pursuit of knowledge has no bounds and the government must help to make it so.

IN November 2011, at the launch of the Blueprint on Enculturation of Lifelong Learning in Malaysia 2011-2020, this country set itself an  ambitious target: to have a participation rate of at least 50 per cent in adult education and lifelong learning. Given that the average Malaysian is said to read only between eight and 12 books a year, mainly of light reading material, it could be argued that such a target is delusional. In examination-oriented Malaysia, the concept of reading and learning is still largely tied to the idea that one reads in order to pass exams. Once school or university is over and a certificate with which to get a job is obtained, the need to learn is also over.

In reality, of course, that is not true. Just as a person learns new things every day about life and the world in which he lives, learning is a lifelong pursuit. Indeed, learning does not only have to take place in a university campus, or result in a diploma or a promotion or raise. And neither does it have to stop when school is out, or when the children arrive, or when one hits middle age. There is always time for reading and learning, if one makes space for that in one’s life. So, just as prayer is an important component in the daily lives of the religious, reading and learning can be a priority activity in a person’s everyday life. Relatively cheap modern technology makes it easy to even do part-time courses online. Computer giant Apple even has an iTunes U facility, which hosts academic content, talks and lectures for thousands of universities, colleges, organisations and institutions, and facilitates downloads for subscribers. From a personal perspective, no learning is ever wasted, and it is never too late to learn.

GUA MUSANG: — The hardship allowance for teachers in schools in the interior areas of Hulu Kelantan, especially in Orang Asli settlements, remains at between RM1,000 and RM1,500 monthly.

Kelantan Education Department deputy director Zahari Daud said the rate was fixed by the Education Ministry based on the distance and route difficulty faced by the teachers to reach the schools.

“The allowance is an encouragement for the teachers to continue their service in the interior areas, especially in giving better education to the Orang Asli children,” he told reporters after the launch of Sekolah Kebangsaan Asli Practicum Programme 2013 as SK Kuala Lah here Monday.

The programme was launch by Teachers Education Institute (IPG) Kota Baharu campus director Hashim Deraman.

BERNAMA.

Read more @ http://education.bernama.com/index.php?sid=news_content&id=923354

KUALA LUMPUR: WITH the new school term around the corner, parents and children are busy shopping for uniforms, schoolbags, shoes and stationery.

A quick check by the New Straits Times showed parents are now more prudent about spending and buying only necessary items.

Siti Haliza Abdul, 36, said she did not spend much this year as both her sons would be using the uniforms and shoes bought last year, as well as using the leftover stationery they had.

“We don’t want to spend too much and we are trying to save where we can. In any case, whatever we save goes back to the children.”

Haliza said she did not have to spend much on books as well because textbooks were provided free by the government.

“We only need to buy their reference and exercise books.”

Rajkumari Subramaniam, 33, an assistant clerk, said she waited for her year-end bonus to prepare her children for the new school year.

“I allocate around RM300 for each of my children. It costs around RM1,200 for all of them every year.

“It can go beyond budget sometimes as they would wear out their shoes or bags by the middle of the year.”

Mother-of-three Fazlina Harun, 35, said most parents did last-minute shopping because they waited for their bonus.

“It is not because of the ‘last-minute-promotions’ as the prices do not go down that much,” she said, adding that she and her husband spend their bonuses fully for their children’s school expenditure.

Fazlina allocates RM700 for each of her two school-going children. They get three pairs of school uniform and shoes, two bags, stationery, and another three sets of uniform for religious school.

KUALA LUMPUR: Children around the country are bracing for the start of the school year next month, with most primary schools organising orientations for the newbies to familiaries them with the classroom and their teachers.

A total of 425,665 children will enter Year One at the start of the new term. Schools in Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah start on Tuesday, while those in other states will start on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Federation of Malaysian School Bus Operators Association has good news for parents.

Its deputy president, Amali Munif Rahmat said there would be no hike in school bus fares next year.

An increase would need to be justified, he said when responding to the School Bus Operators Association’s (SBOA) proposal for an increase in school bus fare.

“For some students who have to attend extra classes or weekend classes, additional charges will have to be paid and the rate depends on negotiations between their parents and bus operators.”

Amali added that any increase in fares would burden parents.

“But we would very much appreciate if the government can provide additional diesel subsidies for school buses.”

Currently, diesel is priced RM1.48 per litre and Amali was hoping that the government could subsidise the diesel by 48 sen.

SBOA president Mohd Rofik Mohd Yusoff said school bus fares should be hiked by 30 per cent.

“We will submit a proposal and a memorandum to the Land Public Transport Commission.”

Echoing his sentiments, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor School Bus Operators Association president Ahmad Fauzi Murad said maintaining the buses was getting expensive.

He added that SPAD should provide them with incentives as they earned income for only 10 months in a year and earned nothing during the school holidays.

KUALA LUMPUR:  — A student’s success does not depend on teachers alone, but hardwork and determination to succeed.

The principal of Sekolah Menengah Sains Selangor (SMSS), Nor Paizin Ibrahim, said students had to work hard and to pay attention to their teachers to be able to grasp the lessons taught in class.

“This is the recipe for students to succeed because the teachers are not with them all the time,” he said after the Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) Excellent Award presentation here Thursday.

He said SMSS organised various programmes, including extra classes and motivational courses, for students to excel in their studies and examinations, as well as enable the school to maintain its performance.

“I notice that parents support programmes organised by the school by contributing funds,’ he added.

BERNAMA.

Read more @ http://education.bernama.com/index.php?sid=news_content&id=917998