I agree it starts at home. Unfortunately some kids have a really difficult home life and the teachers are forced into dealing with bad behaviour. I don’t know what the answer is but I’m trying to raise my own kids to be kind and respectful kids. I don’t mind the teachers talking to them and giving consequences for poor behaviour but physical punishment is an absolute no-no

good old discipline when I was a kid saw people being belted by the teacher. Fear based discipline is never ok. It’s one thing to teach manners but another to teach enforcement or similar. I’d prefer my child to be a polite free thinker than a polite and fearful person as she grows. It’s part of the teacher’s role but also the parents, I don’t think it’s one or the other.

I haven’t heard about this and would be curious to know what “good old discipline” actually involves because I would never allow someone to lay a finger on any of my children, however they have all been raised to be well behaved and respectful anyway.

I don’t agree with physical punishment, but I do think that there needs to be consequences for bad behaviour, such as detentions, parents being called in etc.

I don’t believe in corporal punishment in schools, but I do think that they need to be a bit stricter than they are. I do agree, the onus is on parents. I think it’s a much harder world to raise a child in with all the technology available. It becomes an addiction and even though mine are rarely allowed TV screen time, now that they’re getting older they’re finding other ways around that with a phone (in my daughter’s case) and also Googles (we have smart home speakers). Now they are constantly listening to podcasts…

What exactly is good old discipline? I remember the cane being used when I was at school, chalk and blackboard dusters being pelted at kids. I hope this isn’t what’s making a comeback

It should be both. Parents should teach their kids the right way but also if a child is doing something wrong, especially to another child then they need to also enforce discipline and consequences.

I have not seen or heard anything about this. I don’t watch tv, but do regularly visit the news on my phone or computer. I think a big problem is actually some teachers being too soft, instead of being able to directly address issues they are stating they are getting ptsd from just a child swearing at them once and then going on compensation leave (this is a true story my aunty is a principle) if you can’t handle emotions of children, which may occasionally outburst with a swear word then you shouldn’t be a teacher end of story. You are there to be there leader, to guide them in the right direction. To be empathatic, and strong enough to guide the children in the right direction. Bring back discipline? In my days of school ( I started kindy 28 years ago ) discipline was mainly detention and having to write out lines over and over and over. This was not a good action. It made me despise the school, the teachers, for segregating me and I turned into an extremely rebelious child. By high school I wouldn’t attend most classes, I’d either go to the toilets, down to the bush, or just walk out and go down to a bigger town and walk around the shops all day. School didn’t seem to ever ‘care’ about me. My mother was always more concerned with my grades, my attendence, and my behaviour over my mental health and how I was actually doing at school. Bullying was a big issue and my mother brushed off the bullying as if it wasn’t happening. In high school I had no friends in most of my classes, and the school was so big that I often wouldnt be able to find them in my breaks. Kids don’t need more discipline, they need more love than ever, empathy, compassion and understanding of why they might be behaving the way they are so that the root of the issue can be fixed instead of adding a bandaid where they have say yes sir no sir and do everything they are told in school. This is terrible in my opinion for women to have this outlook “I need to do whatever the adult tells me” I was abused when I was 12-13 years old because of this outlook and I was too afraid to speak up for myself, following adult instructions. The only other discipline they really had in schools before my time was violence! And violence is never the answer. Kids these days aren’t even able to mostly read or write properly, the whole system is failing, there isn’t enough teachers, some kids are going to school from horrible family circumstances, some don’t even have parents! Instead of hating on these children acting out we should be feeling sorry for them because they so clearly need more love, attention and to feel cared for. They need help and positive guidance, not punishment.

Parents definitely need to be responsible for raising their children to be kind, courteous and respectful. Unfortunately, it seems to always fall back on the school and education system to fix everything!

Discipline is an interesting topic. Using discipline is important, however, I believe respect is something much more important to concentrate on. It is not a school vs parental issue. It is a societal, school and parental responsibility.

Definitely the parents responsibility. But I think teachers should also interfere if something is not right.

Definitely the parents responsibility.

Absolutely! Parents play the most important role in teaching respect and manners. While teachers can support these values, the primary responsibility falls on the family.

Parents ceratinly need to be role models for there children and show respect and manners to all people

All adults need to model appropriate behaviour and be role models for children.

I think everyone in a child’s life has some responsibility to teach them appropriate behaviour.

For those asking, it doesn’t seem to be targeted at a particular state. ‘experts say’ the recommendation should be considered as school violence is on the rise. If you google ‘discipline in schools Australia’ you’ll find a few articles from various Aus news sources from the last few days.

Manners and respect should start in the home and carry on outside the home.

I have not heard of this, where are you located, perhaps it isn’t an Australia wide thing as i have not heard anything here in WA. Discipline should start at home and kids should be aware that it should continue at school. It is important that teachers remind students of this and let parents know if there are behaviour issues so that it can be discussed with the child.

I didn’t realise discipline had been dropped in schools. It needs to be consistent at home too where it all starts.