Behaviour lessons for teenagers Monday, 30 April 2007, 10:23 GMT 11:23 UK
Secondary schools are to teach lessons in "emotional intelligence" - in an attempt to improve classroom behaviour. 
From the autumn, the "social and emotional aspects of learning" (Seal) project will be available to secondary schools in England.
It teaches skills such as resolving conflicts, managing anger, respecting others and playing fairly.
The Department for Education and Skills says pilot schemes have had very positive results in primary schools.
A DFES spokesperson said that support would be available for secondary schools wanting to use this approach to improving how children behave.
Confrontation
Teachers' union conferences at Easter heard a series of warnings about the levels of violence and abuse faced by teachers from badly-behaved pupils.
And this "Seal" project is designed to teach pupils about the need to show respect to others and to give them the skills to avoid aggression and confrontation.
The DFES says that primary schools have reported a decrease in problems such as bullying and fighting where the emotional intelligence lessons have been taught.
The type of subject areas covered would include developing empathy - such as showing how someone else might feel or another point of view; managing strong feelings such as anger and recognising the rights of others.
Among the primary schools to have taken part in a pilot was Vicarage Park in Kendal, Cumbria - with the head teacher Anne Hallam saying that the scheme had a "significant impact" on helping boys to articulate their emotions.
And more contented pupils are more likely "to be able to focus on their learning," she says.
Pelham Primary School in Wimbledon also introduced the emotional intelligence lessons and reported that it helped to defuse the everyday arguments that could otherwise escalate.
"What we're doing in class seems to spill out into the playground. Problems continue to happen, but now the kids are more articulate and better at seeing things from the other person's point of view," said teacher Justine Green.
RESPOND:
I agree that education must cover the topic of behaviour. Education is a means of making a person a better person. True education is that which draws out and stimulates the spiritual, intellectual, physical and moral faculties of children. In some countries moral values are forgotten. As young children grow older their behaviour must improved. Our behaviour is shaped by our environment. There are many root cause to bad behaviour. These are some examples-family conflict, academic failure in school, friends with delinquent behaviour, or other problem behaviours, peer rejection, family history with behaviour problem, favourable parental attitudes to problem behaviour, witnessing family violence. Family instability, including economic stress, parental mental illness, harshly punitive behaviours, inconsistent parenting practices, multiple moves, and divorce may also contribute to the development of oppositional and defiant behaviours. All these factors affect the emotion and the behaviour of a person. So it is important to educate children when they are young. Self-discipline plays an important part of good behaviour. Majority of people are incapable of self-discipline. They, therefore, have to be discipline by an outside authority. This is true of children and adolescent who are in their formative years. This is the reason why parents and school and college authorities enforce discipline on the youth who, though they get irritated at discipline, appreciate the value of it in their later years. Without lessons in discipline learned in one’s formative years, one will not in later years have the self-disciple so necessary for any significant achievement.
· The education on emotions is able to counter bad behaviour (the article shows that the young children are able to control their behaviour better). The children are able to articulate their emotions. Bad behaviour would arise if the emotions are not expressed, their troubles are not solved, and they would resort to their own actions of solving their troubles. Listening and valuing adolescent ideas is what promotes the ability of teachers to effectively communicate with them. Emotional intelligence lesson consists of talking about morals and ethical behaviours. Passing along a strong sense of values is one of the fundamental tasks of being a teacher. Teacher need to talk to their student about what is right and wrong and about appropriate and inappropriate behaviours. It would be better and easier for parents to educate on this issue as they are closer to their children, more familiar with their behaviours, spend more time with them and thus able to counter bad behaviour more efficiently. How then can we solve the problem of bad behaviour in a family? We can have:
Family and individual guidance and counselling to find out underlying issues and learn strategies for behaviour change.
Parenting support groups to help guide and empower parents.
Parenting classes to help learn ways of providing consistency, structure, and a positive, less stressful home environment.
A strong and positive working relationship between parents and teachers.
In conclusion, it is important to nip the problem in the bud by educating young children on good behaviour when they are young in school or at home. And solve the problem at its root by evaluating children behaviour, teach and advice what they should do in school and at home. All these would help to curb teenage violence.
From the autumn, the "social and emotional aspects of learning" (Seal) project will be available to secondary schools in England.
It teaches skills such as resolving conflicts, managing anger, respecting others and playing fairly.
The Department for Education and Skills says pilot schemes have had very positive results in primary schools.
A DFES spokesperson said that support would be available for secondary schools wanting to use this approach to improving how children behave.
Confrontation
Teachers' union conferences at Easter heard a series of warnings about the levels of violence and abuse faced by teachers from badly-behaved pupils.
And this "Seal" project is designed to teach pupils about the need to show respect to others and to give them the skills to avoid aggression and confrontation.
The DFES says that primary schools have reported a decrease in problems such as bullying and fighting where the emotional intelligence lessons have been taught.
The type of subject areas covered would include developing empathy - such as showing how someone else might feel or another point of view; managing strong feelings such as anger and recognising the rights of others.
Among the primary schools to have taken part in a pilot was Vicarage Park in Kendal, Cumbria - with the head teacher Anne Hallam saying that the scheme had a "significant impact" on helping boys to articulate their emotions.
And more contented pupils are more likely "to be able to focus on their learning," she says.
Pelham Primary School in Wimbledon also introduced the emotional intelligence lessons and reported that it helped to defuse the everyday arguments that could otherwise escalate.
"What we're doing in class seems to spill out into the playground. Problems continue to happen, but now the kids are more articulate and better at seeing things from the other person's point of view," said teacher Justine Green.
RESPOND:
I agree that education must cover the topic of behaviour. Education is a means of making a person a better person. True education is that which draws out and stimulates the spiritual, intellectual, physical and moral faculties of children. In some countries moral values are forgotten. As young children grow older their behaviour must improved. Our behaviour is shaped by our environment. There are many root cause to bad behaviour. These are some examples-family conflict, academic failure in school, friends with delinquent behaviour, or other problem behaviours, peer rejection, family history with behaviour problem, favourable parental attitudes to problem behaviour, witnessing family violence. Family instability, including economic stress, parental mental illness, harshly punitive behaviours, inconsistent parenting practices, multiple moves, and divorce may also contribute to the development of oppositional and defiant behaviours. All these factors affect the emotion and the behaviour of a person. So it is important to educate children when they are young. Self-discipline plays an important part of good behaviour. Majority of people are incapable of self-discipline. They, therefore, have to be discipline by an outside authority. This is true of children and adolescent who are in their formative years. This is the reason why parents and school and college authorities enforce discipline on the youth who, though they get irritated at discipline, appreciate the value of it in their later years. Without lessons in discipline learned in one’s formative years, one will not in later years have the self-disciple so necessary for any significant achievement.
· The education on emotions is able to counter bad behaviour (the article shows that the young children are able to control their behaviour better). The children are able to articulate their emotions. Bad behaviour would arise if the emotions are not expressed, their troubles are not solved, and they would resort to their own actions of solving their troubles. Listening and valuing adolescent ideas is what promotes the ability of teachers to effectively communicate with them. Emotional intelligence lesson consists of talking about morals and ethical behaviours. Passing along a strong sense of values is one of the fundamental tasks of being a teacher. Teacher need to talk to their student about what is right and wrong and about appropriate and inappropriate behaviours. It would be better and easier for parents to educate on this issue as they are closer to their children, more familiar with their behaviours, spend more time with them and thus able to counter bad behaviour more efficiently. How then can we solve the problem of bad behaviour in a family? We can have:
Family and individual guidance and counselling to find out underlying issues and learn strategies for behaviour change.
Parenting support groups to help guide and empower parents.
Parenting classes to help learn ways of providing consistency, structure, and a positive, less stressful home environment.
A strong and positive working relationship between parents and teachers.
In conclusion, it is important to nip the problem in the bud by educating young children on good behaviour when they are young in school or at home. And solve the problem at its root by evaluating children behaviour, teach and advice what they should do in school and at home. All these would help to curb teenage violence.
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