?Discipline is the mother of success,? says Eschylus. As school has just resumed, it may be just the right time to reflect on the causes of indiscipline in the classroom and methods of fighting it in an efficient way. The pedagogical document published by the Ecole des Valeurs, headed by Marcel Chapeleau, in January ? to coincide with the resumption of school ? aims at helping teachers to achieve more discipline in their classrooms.

In an interview given to l?express, the secretary of the federation of managers of private colleges, Rajiv Roy, does not hesitate to point at the rising number of cases of indiscipline at school. For him, ?School is the reflection of society. The more complex problems become in society, the harder it becomes within the school community. We are now confronted with problems that we hardly experienced in the past. Among them we could mention bullying, communalism, increasing alcoholism, lack of respect, abuse of language, absenteeism, moral issues? The list is very long?.

He believes that the solution is in the hands of the ministry of Education, the more so as it has already committed to take action. ?The minister promised to take action last year but we have not seen any results yet(?). We made concrete proposals. We asked for more severe regulations to punish recalcitrant pupils,? the federation secretary states regretfully.

In a recent interview in l?express, minister Gokhool reiterated his commitment ? mentioning the issue of indiscipline as one of his main priorities for 2008. Even if the authorities could exercise more severity concerning that specific issue, it appears that teachers ? and parents as prime educators ? also have an important role to play. If the two main educators and representatives of authority in the lives of children abdicate their responsibilities, children will have little chance of getting the right signals and learning discipline.

The beginning of the year must be the right time for teachers to make good resolutions to ensure that they win respect. Energised by the holidays, they are in the right state of mind to implement strict regulations in their classroom and make their pupils abide by them.

The begining of the year is the right time to make good resolutions. Energised by the holidays, teachers are in the right state of mind to implement strict regulations in their classroom and make their pupils abide by them.

?Teaching requires energy. If a teacher does not have enough energy, then he or she must make a special effort to acquire it or do another job,? states the EDV publication. For the pedagogues involved in the writing of the article, ?there is no soft or hard method for success. There is only a clear and firm method, respectful of the young person?.

New pedagogy recommends that pupils be treated with respect and attention rather than unfair punishment and useless threats. However, it definitely appears easier said than done for a teacher, as he/she is human and it can happen that he/she runs out of patience. And yet, it is a fact that pupils are more receptive with people who assume that they will follow the rules and have a quiet way of showing authority.

No more insults and humiliations

?If discipline is too hard and goes with insults, raised voices and humiliations, then children will have difficulty respecting their mother or father,? reveals the website of the French government. It is exactly the same with teachers. Discipline must be implemented in a constant way so that children know exactly what the boundaries are.

Punishment is a way of making pupils respect regulations that teachers have adopted in order to achieve more discipline. But it is important that pupils know about regulations and about the consequences breaking the rules will have for them. ?The teachers? level of excellence does not depend on his or her diplomas. It depends on quality of relationships and their capacity for receptivity and calm,? states the magazine. The child should feel that the rules are fair and understand why they are important and should be respected.

Of course, all teachers do not share the same opinion about the best way of restoring discipline within the school community. Some of them find that the new pedagogy does not prepare children to become the responsible citizens of tomorrow. ?Many teachers still jeopardise their careers by using the ?rotin? to negotiate a respite with pupils ? is this acceptable? Others with 25 to 30 years of experience still have to shout at kids to maintain discipline ? do you find this normal?? a ZEP teacher wrote in the website of the Mauritius Institute of Education.

He also finds it unfair that ?when a teacher reports the case of a child with problems, new pedagogy finds he is incompetent in terms of classroom management?. ?Without discipline, children will become louts, thieves and rapists and will not know how to read and write,? he further added.

There may be different ways of tackling indiscipline. But the most important thing that teachers should bear in mind is that they need to listen to their pupils. If they feel they are being given proper attention, they may well be in a better state of mind to work at school.