There used to be a time when educators were self-directed. They could decide how to teach, when to discipline and were given the opportunity to do their job according to their own unique style.
Not any more.
Everything is dictated and imposed, so little is left up to the educators. There is such a lack of trust in the gut instincts and methodology of teachers and school communities, that Governments feel they must intervene. What we are left with is political correctness gone mad!
CHILDCARE workers who send tantrum-throwing toddlers to “time out” risk hefty fines under national childcare laws to come into force next year.
New regulations will expose childcare centres to penalties if children are required to take part in religious or cultural activities, such as Christmas tree decoration or Easter egg hunts.
Childcare supervisors risk personal fines for the first time, under the national legislation being adopted by state and territory governments.
Centres could be fined as much as $50,000, and supervisors $10,000, for failing to ensure children are adequately supervised, or for using “inappropriate discipline” to keep order.
Centres will be banned from using … “any discipline that is unreasonable in the circumstances”.
The Education and Care Services National Act, which has been passed by Victoria as the “host jurisdiction” and will be replicated by other states and territories, does not define “unreasonable” discipline.
But draft regulations with the legislation show childcare supervisors risk $2000 fines for “separating” children.
Supervisors must “ensure that a child being educated and cared for by the service is not separated from other children for any reason other than illness or an accident”, the regulations state.
Herein lies the problem. Governments know precious little about education. Here is just a few examples of how they’ve got it wrong:
- “Separating children” is often an essential method of conflict resolution and discipline. If a child is threatening another child/children, they must be separated. You can’t allow a child (regardless of age) who is in an irrational or heated frame of mind to be among other children. It is simply a safety imperative.
- Similarly, separation can be quite effective for teaching students that every action has a consequence. When a child misbehaves and is forced to sit out of a game or activity for a period of time, it teaches the child that privileges come with responsible behaviour.
- To not define “unreasonable” discipline is just ridiculous. How can you pass a law about something that isn’t even defined? How can you have already thought up the fine before you have properly defined the offence?
- What is wrong with giving childcare centres the opportunity to decide for themselves whether or not to conduct Easter egg hunts? They are not stupid. If they have a large non-Christian demographic, there is no way they would ever consider such an activity. But what if they were entirely Christian in make-up? What if the parents were uniformly comfortable with their children taking part in Easter Egg Hunts? No, the Government says they will fine you regardless.
Political correctness stifles those in the know from doing their job properly. It stops teachers from injecting their own personal style and prevents innovators from providing our educational system with much-needed positive change. It says that all childcare centres and schools must be run in the same way, with the same harsh and uncompromising rules without any thought given to the makeup or cultural uniqueness of the institution.
Political correctness is useless and counter productive. Instead of these harsh and illogical rules, teachers and childcare workers need to be encouraged to be flexible, sensible and sensitive to the welfare of their students and their families.
Topical Teaching 
