Positive Discipline
Focus on rewarding and encouraging positive behaviour, rather than focusing on punishing negative behaviour.
When talking about discipline in schools, modern trends use buzz-words such as “Positive discipline” ; “Values-based education” and “Character guides rather than codes of conduct” . The aim of these “different” or “new” approaches is to focus on rewarding and encouraging positive behaviour, rather than focusing on punishing negative behaviour. Children learn to cultivate habits, approaches and values, that are not only relevant to the classroom or school grounds, but to society, the adult world, and life. It might be too early to say in some instances, but it appears, through the experiences of teachers, that this “new” approach is working.
Some of the founding values on which the Abbotts model was built in 1971 included respect, individuality and responsibility. Although the modern Abbotts Colleges support even more values, these three have formed the basis of academic and behavioural success for all Abbotts College students throughout almost five decades now.
Visit Abbotts and you will immediately see these values being alive on campus through a simple, yet fundamental aspect:
Abbotts students do not wear school uniform. Abbotts students do not disappear in a faceless mass of uniformity, a by-product of the Industrial revolution and wars of many centuries, where it is easy to resort to “mob behaviour” in a typical Lord of the Flies scenario.
Abbotts College students are individuals, no two are the same, and they are treated with respect for who they are and what they are trying to achieve. In the same vein, they treat teachers with respect as individuals, understanding that these individuals are there to help them.
Abbotts College students understand why they come to school, not to please mom and dad, or because they have to, but because they realise that they have their futures in their own hands.
