News (Media Awareness Project) - CN ON: Editorial: Suspensions In Early Grades Going Too Far |
| Title: | CN ON: Editorial: Suspensions In Early Grades Going Too Far |
| Published On: | 2002-07-26 |
| Source: | Intelligencer, The (CN ON) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-01-22 22:10:24 |
SUSPENSIONS IN EARLY GRADES GOING TOO FAR
Editorial - The number of students being expelled from schools in Ontario
is on the rise due to legislation passed a year ago that makes suspensions
mandatory for certain infractions.
The Safe Schools Act took effect last September. Statistics from Toronto
alone show suspensions have increased from 17,371 in the 2000-2001 year to
24,238 in the 2001-2002 school year. That is a 40 per cent increase.
Reaction has been mixed, with proponents saying the law is working while
its detractors say it is too heavy-handed and at least one even blames the
law for causing some students to drop out of school.
The Safe Schools Act makes suspensions mandatory for swearing at teachers
or being in possession of, or under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Those are pretty big infractions and it seems to us that students should be
suspended for those offences.
One alarming fact of the matter however, is that more suspensions are being
handed out to younger children than in the past. The law covers children
from kindergarten through high school.
We can understand suspending high school students for swearing at a teacher
or being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, but suspending Grade 3
and 4 students for swearing at a teacher is simply isolating a child who
most likely has larger problems.
Dr. Otto Weininger is a psychologist who specializes in youth behaviour.
'Often children hear these words and don't know what they mean, other than
they know you say them when you're angry,' said Weininger. 'When we expel
or suspend (children), we are saying to the child, 'You have the personal
resources to get yourself out of this problem.' I don't think children have
that capacity. They need adult support,' he said.
It seems unnecessary to treat all children the same, regardless of age,
when adults know young children mimic adults' behaviour. Instead of
swearing, children need to be taught how to express their feelings,
including anger, without becoming physically or verbally abusive. But
suspending students in the very early grades may be missing an opportunity
to nip a problem in the bud.
Editorial - The number of students being expelled from schools in Ontario
is on the rise due to legislation passed a year ago that makes suspensions
mandatory for certain infractions.
The Safe Schools Act took effect last September. Statistics from Toronto
alone show suspensions have increased from 17,371 in the 2000-2001 year to
24,238 in the 2001-2002 school year. That is a 40 per cent increase.
Reaction has been mixed, with proponents saying the law is working while
its detractors say it is too heavy-handed and at least one even blames the
law for causing some students to drop out of school.
The Safe Schools Act makes suspensions mandatory for swearing at teachers
or being in possession of, or under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Those are pretty big infractions and it seems to us that students should be
suspended for those offences.
One alarming fact of the matter however, is that more suspensions are being
handed out to younger children than in the past. The law covers children
from kindergarten through high school.
We can understand suspending high school students for swearing at a teacher
or being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, but suspending Grade 3
and 4 students for swearing at a teacher is simply isolating a child who
most likely has larger problems.
Dr. Otto Weininger is a psychologist who specializes in youth behaviour.
'Often children hear these words and don't know what they mean, other than
they know you say them when you're angry,' said Weininger. 'When we expel
or suspend (children), we are saying to the child, 'You have the personal
resources to get yourself out of this problem.' I don't think children have
that capacity. They need adult support,' he said.
It seems unnecessary to treat all children the same, regardless of age,
when adults know young children mimic adults' behaviour. Instead of
swearing, children need to be taught how to express their feelings,
including anger, without becoming physically or verbally abusive. But
suspending students in the very early grades may be missing an opportunity
to nip a problem in the bud.
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