Schools to form policies

 THE Education Department has tasked lower level schools in the country to formulate their own behaviour management policies for their students. 

In Morobe, a Lae city primary school and its three feeder elementary schools met in the past week to formulate theirs with an in-service involving the wider community.

Deputy headmistress of Butibum Primary School Catherin Tobem said yesterday there were more than 50 participants, including stakeholders from the community such as parent representatives, churches, government officials and women’s groups.

“For an effective behaviour management policy to be formulated, it would take an integral approach and we are embarking upon that,” Tobem, the in-service coordinator, said at the school.

According to her, the policy was crucial for the early learning stage because teachers were challenged by a drastic behavioural change in children today. 

“As you can see today, it is becoming quite impossible to keep our students focused and in school because of so many distractions outside such as digital movies and games, easy access to the internet, mobile phones and the list goes on.

“We need to have a policy to change their mindsets and create a positive learning attitude in their young minds.

“But that is not all, we must instill in them the desire to excel in the academic field with the view to becoming successful people and productive citizens of this country.

“It starts here at the elementary, then to the primary schools and carries forward,” Tobem said.