Some 550 teachers and parents in Mpumalanga attended the first follow-up sessions of the unique Value-driven Schools project of the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools (FEDSAS). The project was launched in 2013 and proposes a value-driven rather than a rule-based approach to school discipline.

“We are pleasantly surprised at the interest in the project. The sessions are open to all, irrespective of whether a school is a FEDSAS member or not, and it seems that teachers and parents are jumping at the opportunity to become involved,” says Dr Jaco Deacon, Deputy CEO of FEDSAS. Since the initial implementation of the project three years ago many schools have indicated that they are experiencing a significant drop in disciplinary issues.

“With poor discipline still a big challenge for education in South Africa the unique approach of the Value-driven Schools project is a lifeline to schools. The shift in focus from rules to values means that learners, teachers and other role-players in the school community take more responsibility for their conduct,” says Deacon.

The follow-up sessions are a continuation of the original project and are aimed at sharpening up these skills. People who are interested but who did not attend the original sessions are welcome to attend the new sessions. “The original sessions are available on the FEDSAS YouTube channel, but it is not a prerequisite for attendance of the sharpening up sessions,” explains Deacon.

The project runs until October this year and each province will present two separate sharpening up sessions. A session consists of two parts. The afternoon session for educators, “Surviving or thriving?” provides inspiration to make a difference. The evening session for parents, “Understand your child and your child’s needs”, focuses on discipline at home and relationships that make a difference. The sessions are presented by well-known speaker and author Johan Smith.

Schools interested in the follow-up sessions can contact their FEDSAS provincial manager for more information on the seminars in the various provinces. Contact details for each province are available on the FEDSAS website at www.fedsas.org.za.