Commenting on the launch of a consultation on behaviour
management in schools, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of
the National Education Union, said:
“Teachers will wonder why the Secretary of State is talking about
mobiles instead of what schools need in order to help students
make positive choices, re-acquire learning habits and recover
their self-confidence about the future. The urgency right now is
for smaller class sizes, immediate funding for mental health and
anxiety issues, and identifying time for teachers to work with
small groups. There is a huge variety in learning gaps and social
and emotional impacts for different groups of children and if we
don't create a flexible recovery phase of education this next
academic year, teachers will be faced with significant issues in
the classroom.
“Gavin Williamson is out of step with the scale of the challenge
faced by education staff in terms of the number of young people
with mental health difficulties and gaps in areas such as speech
and language skills. The Secretary of State talks about
'discipline' and 'order' when he should talk about mental health,
wellbeing and what teachers need to cope with learning gaps.
There is also a serious concern about the burgeoning
mental-health needs of children and young people.
"Talking about mobile phones is a distraction. Schools generally
have very clear policies and will not see the need for another
consultation. The fundamental question from leaders is where the
Secretary of State is on creating the flexibility, funding and
trust next year to make the recovery phase of education
successful and fair for students. Students in families on lower
incomes have been hardest hit - and lost the most learning time -
so what matters this year is empathy, high expectation and time
for individual teaching alongside emotional support, not tougher
sanctions or zero-tolerance policies on behaviour.
“The Secretary of State should be demonstrating that he
understands the links between mental health, a very high-pressure
curriculum and whether young people cope in school. Student
behaviour can be very challenging for staff. For that reason,
schools need to make sure staff feel supported, to work as a
team, and not on their own."
