When Will We Listen to the Children?

Kids who attack the adults employed by schools are rebelling against coercion. The solution isn't more of the same.

“School support workers want training, better protection from classroom violence” read a recent news headline. The union representing school support workers – including teaching assistants, early childhood educators, librarians, and bus drivers – held a news conference about their demand that the government do more to protect its members as they head back into the classroom this fall.

Apparently, many of these people are “scared” to go back to work. They have reportedly been slapped, punched, kicked, spat upon, bitten, pinched, and been threatened by the small children in their care.

A report commissioned by the union blamed the problem on under-staffing because of low pay and inadequate benefits, a poor reporting system for such incidents, and a lack of support worker training. Their proposed solution therefore includes more support workers, better pay, and training to deal with these so-called violent students.

The solution to school violence won’t be found around a conference table; the solution lies in considering why kids are attacking the adults who care for them.

But who is advocating for the students? I don’t see anyone questioning why small children are acting out in this manner. In response to the union’s demands, the premier of the province says his government listens closely to teachers. But who is listening to the students? Who is even asking them how they feel about their situation?

For me, there’s nothing unusual about people of any age rebelling and even acting violently as a reaction to being continually controlled and coerced, and then punished for their rebellious behaviour. (You might see some parallels here to current situations in world affairs!)

Most schools try to manage kids’ behaviour in order to force them to conform to an adult notion of how they learn and to deal with the sheer numbers of different personalities, abilities, and learning needs. Simply put, the needs of the adults and the institution take precedence over the needs of the children.

But in my experience, many of the adults working in these schools don’t really know kids or what they need — although they think they do. They don’t take the time to observe how kids living in unstructured, free environments interact with their peers or adults, let alone how they learn. Most parents and school staff don’t even socialize with kids much as equals. So it’s not surprising that they do not create environments in which children will thrive rather than act violently!

Sorry union leaders and politicians: The solution to the problem is not more coercion and punishment of children at the hands of larger numbers of better paid controllers. The solution is much more complicated than that and it will not be found around a table of talking or negotiating adults.

The solution is to end the coercion embedded in our school systems, start respecting the kids who are forced to be there (or, better yet, stop forcing them to be there!), and tailor the school environment to their needs rather than to those of the adults or the system. And, at the same time, we need to provide help to overburdened families so they can more compassionately raise their children.

A child who is slapping, punching, kicking, spitting, or threatening is sending a message to the person being attacked. When will we begin to listen?