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TheEducationConversationsisaninitiativebyKagisoTrust,theUniversityofJohannesburg’sFacultyofEducationandBRIDGE.Establishedin2012asaplatformforeducationstakeholdersandsocietyatlargetoengageonissuescriticaltothefurtherdevelopmentandimprovementofeducation,thisdialogueseriesencouragesopendiscussionandenablesdiversevoicestobeheard.

The current landscapehas seen teachers becoming victims of abuse and violence from learners, parents andsocietyingeneral.Theconversationexploredsomeofthecontributoryfactorsandsuggestedwaysofaddressingthechallengesthatteachersareexperiencing.Thisoverviewhighlightsthemainissuesandthemesdiscussed,togiveasenseoftheperspectivesandconcernsofthepanelandaudience.

Presentation1AnneBakeroftheCatholicInstituteofEducation(CIE)describedarestorativeapproachtodiscipline,whichpromotesrespectfulrelationshipsandcreatesasafe,peacefulclimateforteachingandlearning.

Background

The banning of corporal punishment leftmany teachers feeling powerless in theclassroom.Disciplinaryhearingshavenotprovidedaviablealternative,andmanyschools and teachers are still using corporal and other forms of abusivepunishment. In this, South Africa continues to face the legacy of colonial andapartheidapproachestodiscipline,whichemphasisedblameandpunishmentandsocialised learners to accept corporal punishment.Manyadultswhoexperiencedcorporalpunishmentaschildrenviewitas‘normal’,butitisnowknowntohavelong-termdetrimentaleffectsonmentalandemotionalhealth.

Inanefforttoprotectchildrenfromthedamagingeffectsofcorporalpunishmentandtosupportschoolsandteachers with effective alternative methods of discipline, the CIE developed their Building Peaceful Schoolsprogramme.Thisisbasedontheconceptsandpracticesofrestorativejustice.

“Restorative discipline is about bringing safety and, more importantly, hope and dignity to all members of the school community.”

THEEDUCATIONCONVERSATIONS

RESTORINGOURTEACHERS’DIGNITY:CREATINGENABLINGCONDITIONSFORTEACHERS

23April2019

AnneBakeristheDeputyDirectoroftheCatholicInstituteofEducationresponsibleforoperations,policyandadvocacy. Anne represents SADCCatholic education on the Council of the International Catholic EducationOffice. She has taught and served in leadership in Catholic schools for 13years, has co-authored books onconflictmanagement, schoolgovernanceand restorative justicepractices, andhasadeepunderstandingofthechallengesfacedbyschoolsandschoolcommunities.

SettingtheScene

PanelPresentations

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Restorative justice began formally in New Zealand’s criminal justice systemwhenMaori elders called for an alternative to imprisonment for youngmenwho broke the law that would make them take responsibility for theconsequences of their actions and help to put right the harm they caused. Itworks by strengthening relationships and managing conflict and tensions byrepairingharmasawayofbuildingcommunity.

Usingrestorativedisciplineinschools

In schools, the restorative approach is essentially about creating a “safe,nurturing,holistic,justandpeaceful”schoolclimate.Iftheschoolclimateisoneof conflict and fear, the quality of learning suffers. In schoolswith a positiveclimatethere isasenseofcommunity,peoplearetreatedwithrespect,rightsarebalancedagainstresponsibilities,andbothteachersandlearnersareabletothrive.

Instead of using external means such as fear of punishment (and possiblyrewarding good behaviour) to control children’s behaviour, restorativedisciplinehelpschildrenlearnself-disciplineandpositivedecision-making.

Onapractical level,restorativedisciplineusesthecircleasamethodologyandmeansofcommunicating. Theprocessgoeswellbeyondsimplyestablishingwhathappened.Itinvolvesexploringthethoughtsandfeelingsofeveryoneconcernedtogainadeeperunderstandingoftheissuesandconsequences,aswellasdeterminingtherestorativeactiontobetaken.Sittinginacircleallowsforeyecontact,enableslistening,andencouragesgroupawarenessandrespectfulinteraction.“Imessages”encouragepeopletotakeresponsibilityand,becausepeoplespeak from their own experience, promote understanding. The circle also encourages a sense of empathytowardothersinthegroup,whichinturnencouragesanattitudeoffairnessandpromptspeopletowanttoputthingsright.

Trained peer mediators also play an important part in restorative discipline by defusing low level conflictsamongstlearnersandcallingtimeouslyonresponsibleadultswhensomethingseriousarises.

Transitioningtorestorativediscipline

The restorative approachworks bestwhen thewhole school is involved. Anne cautionedthat it takes time to transition fromretributive to restorativediscipline,and that it cannotsucceedwithoutaconvincedanddedicatedchangeleader.Atthesametimethechangehastobeginwiththeindividual,aseachofushasourownattitudestowardschildren,disciplineandwaysofdealingwithconflictbasedonouruniqueexperiencesinourfamiliesoforigin,schoolsandcommunities. It isvitaltoprepareteachersbyhelpingthemtoreflectontheirownattitudesandbeliefs.

In closing, Anne noted the importance of kindness and care in interactionswith learners.Partofthechallengeforteachersisthat“weteachwhoweare1”.Therestorativeapproachgives teachers the power to influence how they affect, and are perceived by, those withwhomtheywork,especiallychildren.

1ParkerPalmer,inthebookTheCouragetoTeach

“Keep in mind that we are preparing our children for the 21st century – and that this does not only

mean technological readiness. The

competencies they will need can only be developed through

social and emotional learning which

restorative discipline practices help to

develop.

AnneBaker,DeputyDirector,CatholicInstituteofEducation

AnyonewantingtoknowmoreaboutrestorativedisciplineiswelcometocontactAnneBakeron

+27(0)114331888oranneb@cie.org.za

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Presentation2EddieKekanaofSADTUpresentedabroadanalysisoftheissuesandproposedacomprehensive,collaborativeapproachtorestoringconduciveschoolenvironmentsandteachers’dignityandconfidence.

Impactonsocietyandeconomicdevelopment

South Africa’s social and economic development is critically dependent onour ability to provide both quality and equality of education. This is beingthreatened by high levels of ill-discipline and violence in schools, anddisregard of teachers’ authority. Schools are no longer providing safeenvironments for teaching and learning, and in some cases the quality ofteachingandlearningisdeclining.

Mr Kekana emphasised the need for a collaborative approach to what isessentially a societal problem, andwelcomed the opportunity provided byEducation Conversations to explore the issues. Teachers were integral tointeracting with learners and played a critical role in society. A failure tomitigate the challenges being experienced by teachers would lead toteachersleavingtheprofession,andthiswouldhaveseriousimplicationsfor

society.

Disciplineandparentalinvolvement

Eddie Kekana also noted the close relationship between school discipline and parentalinvolvement in their children’s education, and suggested that together these two factorsheldthekeytosolvingtheproblemsintheeducationalenvironment.Hecalledonparentstoaccepttheircentralroleinraisingtheirchildren,andtobecomemorecloselyinvolvedinschoolprocesses–bymaintaining communicationwith teachers, volunteering in schools,participatinginlearningathome,andhelpingtheirchildrentomakedecisionsabouttheireducationalfuture.

HereisabriefsummaryofthemainpointsaddressedbyMrKekana:

Keyfactorscontributingtotheerosionofschoolenvironmentsanddeclineintherespectaffordedtoteachers:

• Disrespectandviolenceonsocialmedia• Poorsocio-economicconditions,ill-disciplineandviolenceincommunities• Theriseindrugabuse,withlearnersbeingtargetedbydrugpushers• Ariseinalcoholconsumptionamongstyoungpeople• Familydisintegration,childheadedfamilies,andalackofcareforchildren

EddieKekana,GautengProvincialChairperson,SADTU

“We cannot over-emphasise how troubled our educational landscape is currently. Unless we resolve these challenges and find ways to protect and nurture teachers, we risk compromising the productivity of our institutions and our development as a country.”

Eddie Kekana is currently the Provincial Chairperson of the South African Democratic Teachers Union inGauteng. He is also the Deputy Chairperson of the Government Employees Fund and serves in SADTU’sCurtisNkondoProfessionalDevelopmentInstituteas itsDirector.Eddiehasbeenintheteachingfraternitysince1988,andiscurrentlyservingasPrincipaloftheWinnieMandelaSecondarySchoolinTembisa.Hehasparticipated in various education formations promoting quality and equality in education, such as theNationalEducationCoordinatingCommittee(NECC)andtheQualityLearningandTeachingCampaign(QLTC).

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• Parents’poorbehaviour,andchildren’simitationofthis• Anescalationofpovertyinsomecommunities• Improperrelationshipsbetweenteachersandlearners

Proposalsforcreatingconduciveschoolenvironmentsandrestoringthedignityandconfidenceofteachers:

• Theinvolvementofwell-trainedlearnerleaders• Clearlyarticulated,viabledisciplinepolicies,conductcodesandrules• SMTstobeproactiveandeffectiveincarryingouttheirresponsibilities• Collaborationof stakeholders including lawenforcement, socialdevelopment

andcommunitybuildingorganisationsinfosteringsafeschoolenvironments• Increased parental accountability for the well-being and discipline of their

children• Increasedparentalinvolvementineducationalprocesses• Increasedpositive involvement of the broader community in raising children

(includingotherprofessions,NGOs)• Revisinginitialteachereducationprogrammestofocusondevelopingrelevant

skillsthatwillmotivateteachersandgivethemconfidence

Presentation3LinfordMolaodi,NTAbestteacherawardee,concentratedonissuesaffectingteachers’professionalidentityandtheparticularchallengesexperiencedbyyoungteachers.

Linford believes that teachers have brought many of the challenges they are currently experiencing onthemselves.Healsobelievesthatteachersholdthekeytorestoringtheirdignityandprestige,andcanachievethisby improving theway theypresent themselves. Inessence thiswouldmeanprotecting theirprofessionalidentity,andearningthetrustandrespectoflearnersandparents.

Thekeyideasassummarisedhere:

Having respect for theprofession –Many teacherspresent themselvesunprofessionallyonsocialmedia,andheurgedteacherstoexerciserestraintwhenposting.

Earningtrustandrespect–Teachersneedtoearntrustandrespectbyensuringthatwhattheyofferprovidesvalue.Itisnotenoughtosimplyprovidecontent.Thisiseasilyobtainablefromvarioussources,andlearnerstodayexpectmore.Teachersneedtobeabletoengagewiththeirlearnersonissues,inspirethemanddeveloptheircritical

Linford Molaodi recently won the best teacher award in the category Excellence in technology enhancededucationattheNationalTeachingAwardsfor2019.ForthepastthreeyearshehastaughtintheruralareaofGaMasemola,wherehe is confrontingunder-resourcedenvironmentswithhis shoe-stringmethodologies.Heformed a community of practice to help physical science teachers deepen their content and pedagogicalknowledge through experiential learning techniques.He also assists principalswith professional developmentstrategies and provides advice to circuitmanagers on ICT integration in schools.He is a foundingmemberofTeaSterlProjects,anorganisationencouragingeducators'useofICTinteaching.Linfordiscurrentlycompletingan(MEd)inInformationandCommunicationTechnologyattheUniversityofJohannesburg.

“Collaboration is critical to ensuring a safe educational environment. Let us join hands to face the challenges and to work together to create safe schooling conditions characterised by utmost discipline, order and mutual respect, to attain our national objectives as a society.”

“The Fourth Industrial Revolution will not replace teachers per se, but it will replace tasks within the teaching profession. If teachers are just administrators in the classroom, they can be replaced.”

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thinkingabilities.TeachersshouldalsokeepabreastofICTdevelopmentsintheeducationspace,mentorlearnersandcontributetothedevelopmentofcommunity.

Disciplineandparentalinvolvement–Teachersneedtobeableto leadand inspireparents tohelp themdiscipline thechildren.In Linford’s experience, teacherswho earn the trust of learnersand parents are unlikely to experience disrespect and ill-discipline.

Creatingapeacefulenvironment–Linfordseesthisasanormalpartofteaching.“Asteachersweneedtounderstandthatpartofour professional identify is to create peace in our world.Wheneverwecomeupwithasolutionweneedtoaskourselveswhetheritispeaceful,andifitisnot,tostopdoingit.”

Love for children – Teachers’ attitudes and behaviour towardschildren are crucial. Some teachers dehumanise the childrentheyteach,forexamplebyreferringtothemas“material”(“thematerial I have toworkwith this year…”). Teacherswould dowelltoreflectonthepersonalqualitiestheydemonstrateintheirclassroomsbyasking,“AmIagoodteacher?WouldIbetheideal

teachertoteachmyownchild?”

Developingasenseofcommunitywithintheschool–Principals,SMTsandteachersall shareresponsibility for developing the school community. It can be disrupted if, for example, theleadership displays ignorance or arrogance, or older staff members treat younger membersdisrespectfully.Itisalsoimportanttodevelopaspiritofsharing,especiallytospreadgoodideasandpractices.

Negativeexperiencesofyoungteachers–Manyyoungteachersarecapableofmakingarealdifference in their schools, but they are restricted by the obstacles placed in their path byauthoritarian school leadership. Conditions are worse for young women teachers, who alsohavetocontendwithpatriarchalattitudes.

To address these problems, Linford called for effective mentoring and for the establishment of a dedicatedforum,withintheDBE,torepresentthe interestsandaddresstheneedsandgrievancesofyoungteachers. Itshouldbeledjointlybyyoungteachersandexperiencedteacherswhounderstandthevalueofmentoring.

Thissectionhighlightsthemainareasofdiscussion.

Programme Director, Professor Maximus Sefotho, urged audience members to beconstructive in theirdeliberations. “Solutions for SouthAfrica lie inourownhands. Aretheexistingtheoriesapplicabletoourcontextnow?Wheredowegofromhere?”

LinfordMolaodi,NTAbestteacherawardeeforexcellenceintechnologyenhancededucation

Q&ASessionwiththeAudience

“Creative and competent young teachers are leaving the profession because the implicit system is suffocating their autonomy and diminishing their contributions.”

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Approachestodiscipline:

• Government did notmanage the change from corporal punishment well, or do enough to empowerteacherswith alternatives. This is a systemic issue that needs a huge investment, determination, andwillingnessforthelonghaul.Itisnotsomethingyoucangiveteachersacrashcoursein.

• We cannot take a blanket approach, but need to be open to looking at each problemand finding itscauses.Weneedtoequiplearnerswithotherwaystodealwithproblems,insteadofusingviolence.

• Disciplineinschools isabroaderproblemthatweneedtodealwithasacountry.Manyyoungpeoplefaceunemploymentaftertheycompletematric,whichsurelyhasanegativeeffectontheirmotivationtostudy,whichthenimpactsondisciplineintheschools.

• Leadershipisimportant–whentheleadershipisstronginaschool,therewillbediscipline.

• Parentsareeagertosendtheirchildrentoschoolsthatachievegoodresults,andarewillingtoaccepttheuseofcorporalpunishmentbytheseschools.

• Poor discipline in schools is not just a South African problem. All over the world we see parentsabdicating their responsibilities. Adults lack self-discipline, and this trickles down to children, so theydon’tlearntodisciplinethemselves.

• Teachersarenot trained toworkwith children’semotionaland social challenges,and theycannotbeexpectedtodealwiththemontheirown.Thereneedstobecollaborationintheschoolspacebetweenteachers, socialworkers, andeducational and counsellingpsychologists to interveneon these aspectsandgivechildrenpropersupport.

Theteachers’role

• Dignitygoesalongwithrespect–ateachercannotjustclaimrespect,buthastoearnitbydoingmorethanjustdeliveringcontent.Asacaringprofessional,teachersarethereasaparent,afriend,andamediatorofknowledgeandlearning.Teacherswhoshowthiskindof care for learnerswillearn respectand trust.Theywillbeable toprovide better value as teachers, because learners will feel they can expressopinions,whichthengivestheteacheracontextforengagingwiththem.

• Teachers are now in a different situation and need to see a different role forthemselves. Information is available everywhere, so there is no shame if learnersknow more about something than the teacher. We need to approach this withhumility.

• Withthe4IRwearegoingtoseemanyteachingtasksbecomingautomated.Butthiswillnotaffectthoseareasofvaluewhereteachersareessential,suchasdeveloping

“It is a fact that we live in a violent, conflict-ridden society. Some of us, when talking about discipline, see ourselves simply as victims, and the school as a mirror of that society. Let us rather see the school as a window, that we can look through and see a better society emerging.”

My wife and I were both beaten as children, so we were two people produced by a violent context. When we had our first child, it was hard to know how to discipline. We soon realised we had to create a violence-free household. When you do that, it means you have to invest more with your child, engage more, and talk more. Many years later we could reap the results of that approach, and our children were acknowledged in their schools for their self-discipline. This was because we stayed focussed, and said, “We draw the line.” Can we as parents, teachers and government do the same, and commit to raising children without violence?

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“The focus in schools is all on the needs of learners – teachers also need to be cared for.”

criticalthinkingskills,problemsolvingandworkingwithothers.Fortheseareasteachersmusthavetheabilitytobeflexible(fore.g.byshowingthatthereismorethanonewaytoworkthroughaproblem.)This requires teachers to have a higher level of understanding, and the confidence to demonstrateflexiblethinkinginfrontofaclass.Thesearethekindsofpracticesandmethodologiesthatleadtoself-dignity,andweneedtoproclaimthemintheclassroom.

• Weareinasystemthatdoesnotrecognisethevalueofcreativityinteaching.

• Teachers have to be prepared to create critical, creative classroom environments. A lot of theeducational structures that teachersusedependonmemorisationandneglect theevaluative, so theydon’tengagechildrencritically.Iftheclassroomenvironmentdoesn’tengagelearnerscritically,theywillgetboredandtheteachercaneasilylosecontroloftheclassroom.

• Asteachersweneedtostartwith“I”andnotwaitforGovernmenttofindsolutions.

• Teachershavearoletoassertthemselvesandtheirauthoritywithintheschoolandclassroomsothattheirworkwillberecognisedbysociety.Therearemanygoodteachersoutthere,whoarepreparedtogivetheirall,andweneedtogivecreditwhereitisdue.

Teachercompetence

• Thereisastronglinkbetweenteachercompetenceanddignity,whichismanifestedinrespect.

• In comparisonwith other professionswhere new entrants have tomeet stringent requirements, theprocessofbecominganaccreditedteacherisnotasrigorous.Thereisapoliticalincentiveforthisbutitalso means there are gaps in ITE and the balance between quantity and quality of teachers iscompromised. That is where the root of the problem with teacher competency lies – we are sodesperatetogetteachersthatwecompromisetheprocessoftraining.

• Our teachers need a lot of motivation. Management theory identifies therequirementsforpeopletofeelmotivatedinaworkingsituationas:clarityonwhatisexpected;thecompetencetodothejob;thenecessaryopportunitiesandresources;andconstructivefeedbackontheirperformance.

• Fitting in professional development can be really challenging and teachers need tohave options. Short online coursesmake it possible for teachers to access relevantcourses that are interesting to them, and that they can do themselves, even on theirphones,intheirowntime.

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Challengesofyoungerteachers

• Youngteachersarefrustratedanddemotivatedbyhavingtheireffortstoteachmorecreativelystifledbyschool management. This point was illustrated by a young science teacher who explained that hisschool’sWifiwasonly turnedonwhenthedeputywas teaching. “Weyoungteachersbring invideosand other IT resources, but mostly it ends up that we can’t use them. If we try to stand up tomanagement it turns intoa fight,which is traumatisingforus.Thereneedstobeananti-bullyingprogrammeforschoolmanagement.”

• “Wearebombardedwithwhatiswrongineducation.Itwouldbehelpfultohaveinformationonthegoodthingsthatwork,especiallyforthoseofusteachingintownshipandruralschools”

• Oneoftheworstexperiencesasanewteacherisdealingwiththenegativityofotherteachers.“Wefindthatmanyteachersreallydon’twanttobeteachers.Weconstantlygetaskedwhyweareteaching,andtoldwewon’tlastayear.“

ProfessorCarolineLong,DepartmentofChildhoodEducation,SowetoCampusoftheUniversityofJohannesburg

Professor Long reiterated the importance of teacher agency, proposing that teachers usegoalsettingtoenergisethemselvesandtakeactiontowardsachievingthosegoals.Everyonehas thecapacity foragency,althoughanegativeenvironmentcould inhibitone’sability toexpress it. Professor Long urged teachers in this situation to work together to create orsupport the kind of conditions that would enable all the teachers in that environment toachievetheirgoals.

MankodiMoitse,KagisoTrust

Mankodiexpressedthehopethatteachershadfoundtheconversationaffirming,andrecalledSydneyHook’swords:“Everyonewhoremembershisowneducationrememberstheteachers…Theteacheristheheartoftheeducationalsystem”.

ThissessionofEducationConversationsconfirmedthevalueofthedialogueseries,aswellasthevalueofsupportinganddrawingfromoneanother.Bycombiningtheirefforts,educationstakeholderscouldimprovethesystemand“buildbeautifulschools”.Thevarious

audienceinputshadbeentimelyremindersoftheimportanceof“whatmakesouryoungpeopleandcommunitieswhole”andthat“alllearningmatters”.Mankodialsocalledforyoungpeopletojoinhands,“keeponlearning”andultimatelybecomejobcreators.

ClosingRemarksandVoteofThanks

“It has been wonderful to hear the voices of the younger speakers and students. It is touching and exciting and gives hope for the future.” (Audience member)