Peace Education

MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT

Peace Education

Objectives

• establish Peace Education as part of the formal curriculum and have it used by educators at schools in the Western Cape

In line with the Minister of Education's call to embrace appropriate values in primary and secondary education, the Peace Education team embarked on a process to integrate Peace Education and its values of respect for self and others, empathy, self-esteem, commitment to social justice, equity, non-violence and equality into the formal curriculum.

Working with a number of schools, the practical processes and tools for implementing the project were shared with educators. From evaluations, it was evident that the more successful implementation was based on a holistic integration of Peace Education into the formal curriculum. Life Orientation is particularly suitable. Some positive outcomes were that learners became less violent, more caring, and more of them share their lunch with less privileged learners. Learners take pride in setting an example of peaceful resolution of conflict for their peers. Some learners struggle to integrate their newly acquired skills from school into a conflict-ridden home environment, and to readjust to school when coming from home. Nevertheless, some learners shared their learnings beyond the school. A group of educators will design lessons for the various phases of the primary school curriculum in Life Orientation. A Parent Enrichment Project also took place at Western Cape schools.

Peer Mediation

Objectives

• establish peer mediation projects at schools in the Western Cape

• teach learners how to effectively handle and resolve conflict amongst peers

Educators who had completed training in mediation have set up peer mediation projects at their schools to train learners to resolve conflicts amongst their peers. Learners have developed an understanding of their role in conflict and completed workshops focused on Affirmation, Active Listening, I-messages and Assertive Communication.

Despite a heavy workload, the educators have taken on a project which increases their working hours and costs extra money. It is critical to have buy-in from the school and integrate it into the school's programme. An implementation strategy for peer mediation in 2004 has been finalized.

POSITIVE DISCIPLINE

Pre-service

Objectives

• equip education students to manage discipline whilst maintaining a culture of respect

• equip students to put effective discipline plans in place, to under-stand the concept of Positive Discipline and to manage and practise Positive Discipline in the classroom

A number of students from colleges have been introduced to the concept of positive discipline strategies in the classroom, which they integrate with their practical teaching experiences. An evaluation consisting of case studies reflected a strong move away from punitive disciplinary methods.

Clusters

Objectives

• impact on as many schools as possible

• equip schools with the skills to put effective discipline plans in place, to manage discipline at their respective schools and to practise positive discipline

Schools have been organized into clusters, and some have already implemented alternatives and speak the language of Positive Discipline. They find the process affirming and are willing to debate and find solutions to the challenges they face. In one cluster it took a while for the group to cohere and start taking an active role in solving problems.

Language is a problem, as the home language of the majority of participants is not English, the lingua franca of the workshops. This indicates a high priority for the training manual to be translated into Afrikaans and Xhosa.

Facilitators

Objectives

• train educators from various schools to facilitate workshops on the systems of Positive Discipline (PD) so that they can sustain the system at their own schools and spread the approach to as many other schools as possible

• implement PD at other schools

• equip educators with the skills to facilitate workshops on PD at their own schools and at other schools in the community

• assist Circuit Managers in training educators

A course was run to teach educators how to facilitate workshops on systems of Positive Discipline. It included Classroom Management and strove to illustrate the relationship between curriculum delivery and the discipline of learners. Other areas include Anger Management, Motivation and a focus on rights and responsibilities and how to rewrite a school's code of conduct with these in mind. The manual on facilitation skills led to discussions on different management styles and behaviour management, and the educational use of puppets was a valuable experience for the participants. In an evaluation, the group particularly valued the support structure of the group, and the sharing of problems and expertise.

A working group will lobby government for the outright banning of corporal punishment in South Africa.

TRAIN THE TRAINER

Phinda

Objectives

• establish a culture of respect in schools in the Western Cape

• equip participants with the skills to play the role of change agent in schools and organizations in their communities

• equip participants with mediation skills to manage conflicts at school, home and in the community

The Phinda Course lasts two years. During the first year the focus is on personal growth where participants get to know themselves better - their light side as well as their dark side. This often results in participants having to face their past, so a course on Healing was held with optional personal counselling by a clinical psychologist. The topics covered Inner Peace (internal), Peace Between (interpersonal) and Peace Amongst (environmental). Participants shared personal stories about how the course enabled them to deal with traumas such as sexual violence, infidelity and drug abuse. The second part of the training focuses on Mediation, where trainees focus on the different roles they play in conflict situations and work to become part of the solution instead of being part of the problem. It shows how mediation can be used to transform relationships. The third component of the course is to prepare participants to set up peer mediation projects at their schools.