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Discipline in School Essay
1.1 Introduction
What is discipline? Simply put, it is the instilling of acceptable behavior in individuals by rules. Contravening the set rules may result in punishment or negative repercussions. Thus discipline in school comprises of set rules meant to instill acceptable behavior in students. There is also punishment put in place by the school management to make sure that there are defined consequences when students break the school rules. Students caught in offenses may be expelled, suspended, or given corporal punishment. The environment in the school is by the systems put in place to uphold discipline.
2.0 Reasons for promoting discipline in school
The maintenance of discipline in school is the main factor determining the academic success of students. Without it, students would become nothing short of barbarians who would not succeed in anything later in life. They would later become useless members of the societies and communities they belong.
Why should we promote discipline in school?
2.1 Safety
Discipline will make sure the school environment stays safe. In recent times, there have been school shootings where young lives have been cut short, and cyberbullying with victims committing suicide because of the torment. Such incidents result in unrest within and in the environment surrounding the school. Students end up becoming unproductive because of the ensuing trauma. Lesser forms of indiscipline include the abuse of drugs and the harassment of students. Monitoring systems of discipline make sure unstable students prone to violence are picked out and taken through necessary therapy to deal with underlying issues.
2.2 Manages bad peer influence
There is both a good and bad side to peer pressure. Discipline can help manage negative peer influence. That is where students form cliques where they carry out violent acts and destroy public property, an example of wrong or negative peer influence. Juvenile delinquency, drug abuse, and alcoholism could result from indiscipline caused by immoral peer pressure. Nowadays, social media has worsened unacceptable peer pressure. Parents and teachers should be hands-on in regulating student access to social media. Delinquents should be separated and possibly sent to rehabilitate away from other students.
2.3 Students prioritize academic goals
Discipline helps students keep their priorities on their studies. They can thus focus and excel in their academics. That helps them when they get into other matters in life. They can easily focus on the crucial things in life and excel.
2.4 Better academic performance
Discipline in school keeps students responsible. They know that there are consequences to their actions. Thus they are careful of all their engagements. They usually end up doing better in their academics. Discipline enables the students to be attentive to the teacher.
3.0 Types of discipline
There are three ways of upholding discipline in schools. It can be through correction, prevention, and support.
3.1 Discipline through correction
This type of discipline focuses on repercussions. Students know the consequences of breaking the set rules meant to maintain order in the school. Whenever they break the rules, the outcome of their actions follows consistently in a bid to correct behavior. Students at different levels should have corrections that will be effective to them. Whereas time-out would be effective for a kindergartener, staying back after school hours to do a punitive task is more suited to a high school student.
3.2 Discipline through support
Support is a gentle form of punishment. Those in authority remind the students of the rules and direct them on the right thing to do without doing so verbally. An altercation is usually corrective but is not the most effective way to correct students. Support will include alternative moves suggested to students to avoid ascribed consequences. Thus, a student talking during a lesson will receive the direction to shut up or face the outcome of staying after school.
3.3 Discipline through prevention
This type of discipline is the most important. It involves the code of conduct in school and rules to the students. Consequences for going against these rules are defined as well. That is a calm approach to discipline in school as students know what to do without the tension of confrontation. The rules may include guidelines on how to deliver assignments and communicate with their superiors and their peers. They may also be about what is allowed or not allowed in school.
4.0 Conclusion
Discipline is essential to the success of the students in any school. There should be concise rules set out and consequences that follow their contravention. It is important to note that prevention is better than cure, even where discipline is concerned. However, because human behavior is unpredictable, the three types of training will likely be applied at one time or the other. The application of the three ways of discipline will work to bring about the desired environment in school.
Works Cited
Advancing Evidence Improving Lives. Engagement/Safety/Environment- Safe Supportive Learning- National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments. 2021. 24 July 2021.
Definitions from Oxford Languages. n.d. 24 July 2021
Onsoti, Dennis Ogendi. "Influence Of Peer Pressure On Form Two Students' Discipline In Public Secondary Schools (A Case Of Embakasi Sub-County-Nairobi, Kenya)." November 2018. repository.uonbi. 25 July 2021
RIVERSIDE MILITARY ACADEMY. What is the Importance of Discipline in School?- RIVERSIDE MILITARY ACADEMY. 25 May 2021. 25 July 2021
The Aspen Institute. "School Safety and Student Discipline - The Aspen Institute." 2018. The Aspen Institute. 24 July 2021
Wahlig, Hannah. Types of Discipline in the Classroom- CLASSROOM. 2020. 26 July 2021
