Value-driven schools: FEDSAS presents follow-up seminars
 
Value-driven schools experience fewer disciplinary problems than schools that follow a rule-based approach. This is the basis of the unique Value-driven Schools project, introduced by the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools (FEDSAS) in 2013.

“Many of the schools that implemented a value-driven approach have been reaping the rewards with a significant decrease in disciplinary problems,” says Dr Jaco Deacon, Deputy CEO of FEDSAS. Poor discipline remains one of the South African education sector’s biggest challenges. “A set of rules does not provide a solution as it is enforced externally. Values are internal to a person and therefore have a more significant impact on someone’s behaviour,” explains Deacon.

It has been four years since the initial introduction of the project and it is time for sessions to sharpen up this knowledge. These sharpening seminars are aimed at teachers and parents and consist of two sessions per day. 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 that did not attend the initial seminars are not excluded from the sharpening sessions. Videos are available on the FEDSAS YouTube channel.

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. Two seminars will be presented in each province from August to October. The sessions are not limited to FEDSAS member schools – anyone who is interested may attend.