Pranglist at elementary school: Parents outraged by public punishments!

Pranglist at elementary school: Parents outraged by public punishments!

In a elementary school in Eastern Styria, a controversial measure to discipline students caused a stir. The school used a “list of behavior” on which misconduct by students was publicly recorded. According to a report from 5min.at, strokes were added to the name of the student in question. After a student had reached ten lines, a punishment followed by the classmates. It was about choosing a punishment that was most painful for classmates, with examples like the ban on participating in the gymnastics lesson or not being allowed to take any breaks.

The list of behavior was visible to everyone, which meant that misconduct was displayed directly. To make matters worse, the parents were not informed about the introduction of this list, which led to considerable displeasure. In response to the feedback from the parents, the list was finally removed. The school plans to work on methods in the future to be developed in the team to create a more positive learning environment.

education and social responsibility

dealing with misconduct in schools is a complex topic that also takes into account the social development of the students. According to Schul.at, it is crucial that students learn from mistakes and that these learning processes are promoted by suitable pedagogical support. Errors are not only undesirable, but also part of the learning process. It should be an insight, sorry and effort to act better in the future. This concept of reparation also flows into the behavioral assessment of the children.

In order to create a positive school atmosphere, the headmistress Ulrike Becker developed a strategy in another context that relies on reparation instead of punishment. An example describes how a student, after an incident with a teacher, has taken on a special responsibility to rebuild trust. This type of solution -oriented approach promotes belonging to the community and does not result in the stigmatization risks that are often associated with punishments.

alternative approaches and pedagogical support

The application of punishments can often lead to a tightening of conflicts and promote exclusions, as is emphasized in reports from the “Pedagogical Relations” network. Instead, a concept is funded that indicates positive behaviors and strengthens cooperation in the school community. The ethical guidelines, which were created in this context, aim to minimize the negative effects of punishments and to find constructive solutions instead of reducing behavior.

For successful conflict resolution in schools, it is important that teachers receive support and that suitable structures of action are created. The students should not only be punished, but should be included in the process of dealing with conflict in order to reduce feelings of guilt and promote a positive learning environment. In this sense, the exchange about the creation of rules within the class conferences is emphasized in order to prevent discriminatory statements and create an atmosphere of openness.