The
school motto for Erskine Park High School is "Pride in Achievement".
Such pride is derived from academic, sporting, social and civic success,
and due recognition of this success. It is also a product of the
underlying philosophy of the school's discipline code and welfare
policy which can be summed up as student self-discipline and mutual
respect for all partners in the educational community. A school with
good discipline provides effective learning opportunities for students.
"When
parents enrol their children at public schools they enter into a
partnership with the school staff. This partnership is based on shared
responsibility and mutual respect. It should aim at achieving effective
learning and good discipline so that the school environment is both
productive and harmonious. The partnership must strive to create
in children an understanding of appropriate public behaviour. Such
understanding should lead the student to develop a responsibility
for his or her own behaviour." (Good Discipline and Effective
Learning A Ministerial Statement NSW Department of School Education
1995 page 3)
Good
discipline makes demands on both the teacher and the student. Teachers
must have a repertoire of strategies to manage students in such a
way as to ensure that opportunities for learning exist in the classroom.
Teachers should recognise the link between effective teaching, appropriate
curriculum and student learning. They must also be prepared to work
with students to examine the strengths and weaknesses of their learning
performance and to link this to their behaviour. Students must take
ownership of their own behaviours and accept that when decisions
are made to act in a particular way, there will be consequences which
follow Students must accept that failure to consider the rights of
others in society always has repercussions for themselves and others.
Good
discipline has positive outcomes for both the student and the teacher.
For the student it improves their aspirations as they realise their
capacity to learn and to understand; it makes their learning exciting,
relevant and motivational; it increases their level of achievement
and success and hence their self-esteem. It also prepares them for
employment, further education and makes them valued members of society.
For the teacher, it improves the quality of their working life, making
the learning process possible.
At
Erskine Park High School, the following are expectations of good
discipline:
- sustained
application to learning
- respect
for other individuals and their property
- courtesy
to all other students, to all teachers and to all community members
- due
respect for teachers
- no
violence, discrimination, harassment, bullying or intimidation
- no
weapons
- no
illegal drugs, alcohol or tobacco
- peaceful
resolution of conflict
- adherence
to the standards of dress determined by the school community
- compliance
with all school rules and the school discipline code
Back
to top
