Petrina Francis, Education ReporterIN A bid to curb the internal violence that is plaguing the nation's schools, the Association of Guidance Counsellors in Education is to pilot a violence prevention and positive attitude programme in 30 'at risk schools' across the island.
Dr. Grace Kelly, president of the Association of Guidance Counsellors in Education told The Sunday Gleaner last week that the programme is aimed at improving students' behaviour and to ensure that they develop values that will make them into better citizens.
She related that the rampant crime and violence that is affecting the nation is spilling over into the education system and affecting the children. The president noted that the culture of the school is changing rapidly and such a programme is important to address some of the changing issues.
CORRECTIVE MEASURES
"I believe if our nation at this time has sufficient corrective measures at the appropriate level ... the level of crime and violence will decrease," she said.
Dr. Kelly explained that the programme would be delivered by way of a curriculum, which is dubbed: 'Transforming Acting-Out Behaviour'. According to her, there will be group and classroom interactive counsel-ling sessions where students will be able to express their views and learn appropriate behaviours. The lessons she said, are designed to teach students "respect for self, peer compassion and acceptance of self". She noted that students would be exposed to the programme for 10-12 weeks of each school term.
The programme is being conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Education's Guidance and Counselling Unit and is being funded by the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica.
TRAINING
Dr. Kelly said guidance counsellors who will deliver the violence prevention programme would be trained this week. The programme will be fully implemented in schools by January.
She also noted that an official of the Safe Schools Programme would also be a part of the violence prevention programme.
The Safe Schools Programme was introduced in schools last year September with an aim to reduce the incidents of violence in schools.
Under the programme, police personnel, called school resource officers, are placed in the schools. There are currently 112 schools participating in the programme, but only 77 schools have SROs.
The president pointed out that 'The Transforming Acting-Out Behaviour' was developed in the United States of America for schools in inner-city communities.
She noted that the programme has produced excellent results in the United States and if it is used in the appropriate way, should yield similar results in Jamaica. It has also been replicated in the United Kingdom and Bermuda.
