Discipline remains a crucial aspect of consideration from a school perspective taking into account that this acts as a contributing factor towards determining the possibility of enhanced performance outcomes. As a principal, one of the key responsibilities is to work out effective approaches from which to view cases associated with discipline while reflecting on the actions associated with the claims of control. From that perspective, it becomes much easier to determine the effectiveness of the actions taken in dealing with matters of indiscipline arising within a school environment. From that perspective, this report seeks to engage in an analysis of data associated with discipline within Walters School with the focus being towards understanding some of the essential issues of indiscipline. Additionally, the report will also reflect on some of the actions taken towards dealing with the cases of indiscipline with the focus being towards determining their effectiveness.
Cases of Indiscipline
From the analysis at Walters School conducted within the last three years, these are the top five cases of indiscipline recorded at the school:
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Insubordination
The three-year study of indiscipline cases at the school suggests that insubordination accounts for the highest number of indiscipline cases at the school within the entire three years. Silva, Negreiros, & Albano (2017) take note of the fact that insubordination arises from instances where students tend to show some form of defiance towards the laid out rules resulting in the cases where the students tend to lack respect. As can be seen from the analysis, the number of instances of insubordination were recorded at 215 in 2004-05, which has reduced to 135 in 2006-07, thus, suggesting that although the number of cases is high, the setup measures are effective in reducing the number of indiscipline cases.
Disorderly Conduct
Another notable category of indiscipline cases, as can be seen from the analysis, is disorderly conduct among the students, which has also been high within the school. Disorderly conduct may result from disruptive behaviors among students, which becomes a bother to other students engaged in the learning environment (Ngwokabuenui, 2015). From the analysis, it is evident that the number of cases associated with disorderly conduct reduced between 2004-05 and 2005-06 from 19 to 16 cases. Although the margin may not be as high as expected, it is clear that the school was working hard towards reducing the occurrence of such cases with the focus being towards improving discipline. However, the number has increased significantly to approximately 28 cases, which is a clear indication of the fact that the measures set out are not effective in dealing with such examples of disorderly conduct.
Staff Assault
Assault on the staff at the school also accounts for a notable number of cases associated with indiscipline reflecting on the fact that some of the students tend to assault staff members in one way or another. In any given learning environment, staff members, who include teachers, face risks of assault from the students taking into account that some of the students lack respect for the staff members (Dias & da Silva Colombo, 2013). In the case of Walters School, the number of cases recorded in the school year 2007-07 was 11, which was an increase from the previous years during which time the school recorded 10 cases. That suggests that the school much come up with comprehensive measures that would work towards ensuring that staff members are protected while maintaining discipline among the students.
Student Assault
On the other hand, the school also recorded cases of student assault as another category of indiscipline at the school, which was a clear indication of a significant issue touching on discipline. Student assault can be attributed to cases of students engaging in physical altercations both within and outside the school environment (Aquino, 2016). When compared to other instances of student indiscipline, student assault has become one of the critical issues of concern at the school reflecting on the increase recorded. From that perspective, it becomes clear that although the school is working towards reducing some of these cases, the management must come up with a broad avenue from which to ensure that students do not find themselves exposed to regular instances of assault. In other words, the management at the school must work towards protecting the students from increased cases of physical altercations, which may have significant impacts on their abilities to learn.
Vandalism
Lastly, Walters School is facing a key challenge in its bid towards dealing with the cases of vandalism as having been indicated within the analysis. Destruction of school property remains a vital issue of concern in dealing with indiscipline within schools, as students tend to engage in actions that destroy property (Ferreira, Santos, & Rosso, 2016). One of the key aspects to note from the analysis is that the school did not record a single case of vandalism in the school year 2005-06. However, this changed significantly in the preceding year with the number of cases recorded rising to five, as has been recorded in the analysis. From that perspective, it is clear that the school's management must take stun action towards curbing such cases of vandalism as a critical category of indiscipline.
Significant Responses to the Disciplinary Issues
Taking into account the cases of indiscipline, as have been recorded in the previous section, the school have been on the forefront towards taking specific proactive actions with the focus being towards ensuring that the students achieve expected discipline levels. Some of these actions include:
Corporal Punishment
In some of the cases of indiscipline, the staff at Walters School has resulted to corporal punishment the preferred course of action in dealing with some of the cases. However, it is essential to take note of the fact that the number of incidences in which students have been exposed to corporal punishment has between on a steady reduction from 89 in 2004-05 to approximately 33 in 2006-07. That suggests that the school is working hard towards building on a progressive path from which to engage in an effective punishment of the students as a way of instilling discipline.
In-School Suspension
The second notable response that the school has taken towards dealing with some of the cases of indiscipline among the students is the in-school suspension in which students are allowed into the school but are not allowed to attend classes. The idea of using in-school suspension as a preferred form of punishment arises from the need to ensure that the students have a clear understanding of the nature of their mistakes. The long-term expectation is that this would allow the students to change their respective behaviors with the focus being towards limiting the number of indiscipline cases recorded at the school.
Out-of-School Suspension
The third notable punishment that the school imposes among its students as a way of dealing with the rampant cases of indiscipline is an out-of-school suspension in which students are suspended from school and are not expected within the confines of the school. Usage of out-of-school suspension has been a practical approach for the school, to some extent, as it has paved the way for discussions between the school's management and the parents with the focus being towards understanding some of the factors contributing to indiscipline. However, it is essential to consider the fact that the number of indiscipline cases within the school is increasing at a significant rate, thus, suggesting the need for having to reconsider the idea of using such forms of punishment for the students.
Personal Perspective
From a personal perspective, I tend to believe that indiscipline among students acts as one of the essential issues that schools' management must be ready and willing to address as a way of ensuring that students are accorded that positive platform from which to learn. In my view, one of the most significant issues of indiscipline in schools today is bullying. Although the number of cases associated with bullying at Walters School may not be high, it is essential to take note of the fact that this remains as a critical issue among elementary, middle, and high schools. One essential aspect that I can note is that majority of the students find themselves in a position where it becomes hard or challenging for them to report cases of bullying due to constant threats from their peers. Thus, this is an issue that may require an in-depth analysis of the students with the focus being towards ensuring that the students are accorded that safe environment from which to learn effectively.
References
Aquino, J. G. (2016). Indiscipline in schools: the itinerary of a theme/research problem. Cadernos de Pesquisa , 46 (161), 664-692.
Dias, C. L., & da Silva Colombo, T. F. (2013). Indiscipline in schools&58; working with class meetings in developing morally autonomous children. Educação: Revista do Centro de Educação UFSM , 38 (2), 361-374.
Ferreira, A. C., Santos, E. R. D., & Rosso, A. J. (2016). Social representation of scholl indiscipline. Psicologia: Teoria e Pesquisa , 32 (1), 199-208.
Ngwokabuenui, P. Y. (2015). Students' Indiscipline: Types, Causes, and Possible Solutions: The Case of Secondary Schools in Cameroon. Journal of Education and Practice , 6 (22), 64-72.
Silva, A. M. P. M., Negreiros, F., & Albano, R. M. (2017). Indiscipline at public school: Teachers’ conceptions on causes and intervention. International Journal of Research in Education and Science , 3 (1), 1-10.
