Detentions as a punishment

[SweatyLama]

I didn't grow up in the UK, but my children were born here. This year, my DS started secondary school for the first time, and I discovered that they have a system of punishments in place. Is this a common practice in all state schools in Britain? I really don't like this system ( I mean punishments) and find it degrading and outdated.

we know schools that cope with the fact that not all learning is fun. I wish these schools were more accessible, and more widespread.

@SweatyLama you are not a teacher. I have been a teacher for 3 decades. The last time you were in school was when you were a child? I ask again, what makes you think you know as well as or better than me or other teachers here what is effective in getting students to learn or to study?

You say 'Let's say both systems are effective'. No, I don't believe that both systems are effective.

Which schools? What are their methods?

The difference between sanctions and lack of sanctions is obvious even within the same school, by the way. Students will often prioritise doing their homework for the teachers who reliably give detentions for missed homework and not bother to do homework for the teachers who just prefer to keep 'reminding them of the rules'.

I don't need to be an engineer to understand that the iron doesn't work well.
I see schools with a policy where there are no punishments. and they have good ratings. this is enough for me to make such conclusions. and also I judge by myself. for me it is humiliating and unacceptable to be stimulated in such a way.

I've found one - gramma Kendrick School. You can read their policy.

@AllProperTeaIsTheft
You say 'Let's say both systems are effective'. No, I don't believe that both systems are effective.
Me too 😉

If you think Kendrick - a grammar I think? - operates with no sanctions you’re deluded. It may not need as many, since as a selective school it is likely to have a more engaged cohort, but it will have some.

Quote from policy:

Relationships need to be actively worked at by staff and there is an expectation that for all students staff teach they will:

Get to know students' views and preferences during lessons, tutor times, informal social times and through conversations with parents and carers;
Take an interest in things that are important to students;
Speak respectfully at all times to the students which means being calm, using positive language and using tone and intonation appropriate to the situation;
Talk to students outside of their personal space;
Smile and greet all students;
Meet with students following any incident to unpick issues and plan with the student how
to reduce the likelihood of this happening again;
Corrective communications should coach improvements in performance (either behavioural or academic) rather than bribing with reward or threatening punishment;
Always model personal behaviour that is appropriate for the workplace;
Over reliance or dependence on one adult if it persists beyond the short term can be
therapeutically harmful. Staff should work together to ensure this is minimised;
Never seek to create an attachment which is intimate and competes with the attachment to key adults such as parents, siblings and friendsand

Kendrick is a very academically selective girls school. And even they - since I’ve looked at it - still gives detention, albeit rarely, for poor behaviour or poor quality work. Do you not think that what works in a highly sought after girls grammar might not work in a massive mixed comprehensive that isn’t allowed to select and thus has to take all comers? Do you really not see that?

That's the staff code of conduct. The managing student behaviour policy is offline at present (probably being rewritten - and might be slightly less fluffy-wuffy that you seem to think).

https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/why-our-school-has-no-sanctions-or-punishments

There are 2 schools for difficult children that does not use sanctions and punishments. I know that it is possible and more effective. If you want to know more about it, you can find information. I do not think it is necessary to prove anything to anyone.

I know you want to believe it )

When did you look there? My friend, whose daughter studies there, assures that there is no detention as a kind

Ok, well take your son out of his school and move near an academically selective school with a behaviour policy you like and make a late application. Then hope your ds passes the test and they have a space.
Or if not set up your own free school with a behaviour policy you like.
What you shouldn't do is expect your son's school to adopt the same policy as a school with a completely different cohort because you say so and you think you know more about running a school than they do.
As I said, if you think you know more about it than them, set up your own school.

well OP, as you know better than all of the educational professionals on this thread... perhaps you can go and train to be a teacher, become one and at that time, influence the school's behaviour policy...

Or, perhaps more realistically, apply to be a governor at your child's school.

I think you're somewhat deluded to be honest, but plenty of parents agree with you and opt to home ed their children. Another option for you.

I'm intrigued as to how you personally know that it is more effective.

Not sure I can bring myself to read through the OP's 131 responses thus far, but has she mentioned which country she comes from?

Bet it's Sweden.

You can’t compare a Grammar school in a leafy middle-class area to an inner city comp!!! 🤦🏻‍♀️

Russia. she claims Russian schools don't have detentions.

This would be absolutely wonderful in an ideal society where everyone cared about their own education and was invested in learning.

But unfortunately that is not what we have in most western countries. Children and parents take education for granted, they don't respect teachers like they used to and don't seem to feel that education is important (well a certain section of society doesn't). Students would rather disrupt the class, don't care if they miss part of a lesson and parents aren't bothered if their child misbehaves as they are to busy with their own lives doing whatever so as long as they are in school and out of their hair they don't care.

I think you find detentions are few and fare between in private schools, even if schools use these sanctions because the parents are heavily invested in their child's education and care about how well they behave in school. I've had one child go through high school and one currently there and neither have had detentions, they aren't actually that hard to avoid. Neither me or DH had them at school either.

I think if your child is struggling you need to engage with the school more to help support them.

I looked it up just, apparently Redditers say no detentions in Russian schools... children are disciplined by calling parents or telling them off in front of the other children.

and I wonder how you know that punishments are more effective. You haven't even studied another method.
I am guided by sound logic and research.

read below. the same system is used with difficult children in a special school. healthy children, do you think, are less worthy of humane treatment?

But schools in Russia are not an example of the schools I am talking about.

What are you going to do then?
Home school?
Move near a school that has a behaviour policy you approve of?
Set up your own school?
Hope your son's school will agree to change their behaviour policy on your say so as you know better than them?
What's the plan?