UNICEF promote message on positive discipline in schools

Jun 24, 2018 News

The United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF) is using the power of film to deliver a message on positive discipline in schools.
Over the past year, UNICEF has been collaborating with the Ministry of Education to introduce the use of positive discipline in schools across Guyana.
UNICEF recently launched a short film to emphasize the impact of positive disciplinary measures.
The video, which is about 10 minutes long, features a song performed by school children, who are calling for an end to whipping and other forms of punishment, currently accepted in the school system.
The video can be viewed on YouTube via the UNICEF Guyana and Suriname channel.
Speaking at a recent press event held at UNICEF’s Brickdam, Georgetown headquarters, country representative Sylvie Fouet explained that the campaign is an evidence-based one that stems from conversations the organisation has been having with stakeholders for some time.

From right: UNICEF country representative Sylvie Fouet and members of her team Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, Michael Gillis and Communications Assistant, Frank Robinson, during a press briefing, at the Brickdam Office, last week.

According to her, the consultation which included input from school children and other concerned groups took place about a year ago.
UNICEF was also able to gather data in 2014. The data gave an indication of the kind of discipline being practised in schools.
She noted that the data form an important link which will help the Education Ministry develop improved teaching methods.
Earlier this year, the MoE collaborated with UNICEF to launch a ‘cluster approach’ training workshop for monitoring the implementation of positive disciplinary methods across schools in Guyana.
During the training, Assistant Chief Education Officer (ACEO) Primary, Mr. Owen Pollard, charged the participants to reflect on what is happening in their schools and how they can work to improve discipline.
The Education Officer noted, “We are living in a modern era and modern approaches should be adopted. He said that there are other approaches that can be embraced to inculcate proper disciple among children and that corporal punishment should be relegated to the annals of history.”
Pollard said that it is important that children are fully occupied when at school so that misdemeanour can be mitigated.
Further, Pollard said that teachers should constantly walk the schools and corridors to know what is happening, “make your presence felt, if the children recognize your presence this will help in tackling disciplinary issues”.
Meanwhile, UNICEF Education specialist, Ms Audrey Rodrigues, told participants that UNICEF’s vision is to create a happy learning environment which will help children feel more at ease to participate in whatever is happening in school.
She was positive that the workshop will help in this regard. “We want happy children in a safe, inviting warm environment.”
She noted that the Child-Friendly Schools Programme of which one of its components is ‘Positive Discipline’ has had some successes over the years.
To enhance the programme of ‘Positive Discipline’ several interactive activities were done such as jingles, debates and workshops for teachers and parents.
In the pilot stage of this programme, she said many children across Guyana became advocates for the use of positive discipline through their participation in jingles and poster competitions.
Rodrigues said, too, that UNICEF is pleased to be associated with the initiative and has pledged to continue to support the MoE in similar and other programmes.

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