Bullying

Yes it's a big problem . .
My problem is that no one can expect a new class program to reverse the growth in non coping with anger and assertiveness.
It's a world view problem that will only be better resolved by recognising we have somehow told ourselves,  as a post Christian culture, that  it is right to put the individual ( not the parent or teacher) in charge ..That such rampant individulaism actually works ( those watching our own cultural demose can see it) ..
We must find a way to give authority back to both parties before mere word stating reactions like "this is now a problem " will make a difference .
We now call anger a sin when for thousands of years we were told and trained to call it a risk ; the classical post modern crap of letting correlation be seen as  causation , We weren't taught to sit on it like we are now ; were taught to deal with it .We weren't tutored in the desperate art of denial ( somehow adrenalin is not mentioned) but in the realistic art of expressing yourself . Minister Cash wants men to not be angry and just show respect ( Today ) This is foolish unnatural unworkable blind religious talk  of a new kind
 Calling it a sin means we are tempted  to deny it in ourselves( a simple reality) and then  say the outward expression of it in others is "deeply wrong" . Jesus the master spoke to the inside , most moderns are hopelessly lost trying to read from the outside.
Our post Christian culture has no effective way of dealing with this projection guilt and denial; A program to" fix it " must involve radical surgery of ideas not the patches governments and reactionary medicine men will apply .
Denying that the old way is now wrong is denying history and experience . Denial leads to fanaticism and there is plenty of that in program ideas for schools at the moment. Watch it grow and fester as evidence of the denial it is.

Any wise parent with more than one child learns to deal with bullying before the kids go to school , So why would anyone expect a mere " education program ' at school to really resolve these things?.
I fully accept that school can be the place where modelling how to cope with bullying can occur ( mainly through individual modelling and personal coping strategies )but  only those who have never left school think you can deal with it easily in class .
Attitude standards is a very sensitive issue and hard work driving many teachers away from jobs they once loved - you can also be expected end up ALONE if you try to teach values carelessly making kids feel guilt and shame ; Whatever good you do there is more of the same behind the sheltershed.

It's also wrong to categorize all perceived "bullying "  as wrong .Calling a spade a spade is calling a real sin a real sin and not getting diverted-( precision helps )- that of course was the old way which is the only way it works .( precision a prerequisites= )
Now - people are confused--- is it natural to lie or be aggressive
Yet years ago , telling a lie shouldn't mean you are called a liar - thats the law of lible .To call someone a liar is an offence under the eight commandment.   Getting angry with your partner wasn't considered wrong and now that  it is it means the path to resolution is NOW closed in some households .The proper dealing of these complex matters is an urgent matter YES

Some people see bullying as assertiveness but we all need to learn assertiveness and whether you want to see it or not , we can learn it in the context of a situation of anger and mostly do.
.What we perceive as someone else's problem may become our problem if we don't see our part in resisting the call .Maybe parent training would help more , but not back door and "out the door with anger" policy .

Advocates of the proposed program in schools think they can run assertiveness training in schools .They are focused on a few things they know and not the full picture which "who knows who really knows" . I don't know many teachers who could do it and parents MUST have a say in the contents as they would have had in methods classes before school. As Neiman might say , its bringing uncertainty into the curriculum which it should not bear to achieve  the great status Fairfax gave it . Keep teachers comfortable in the job by keeping it simple . The ideologues will cause even more  early retirement .
 Integration as a means to effectiveness
Clearly both mentorship and modeling go together with insight on this . I simply don't accept secular schools should teach values unless they get parents approval to run those sorts of classes. As every one knows the system meddles with disintegrated concepts of  "confidence , assertiveness and resilience " and in a fractured and incomplete way that sends thinking parents off to Private schools  where subjects are subject to less pedantry .Humpty dumpty reactionary experimentation( non curriculum or temporary) instead of consistent competency ( known and accepted curriculum)  Training not playing . Pedagogy not pedantry,

Secular and secularism - not the same thing

Andrews Labor Victorian government have decided this August 2015 ,  despite one of the most honored social school experiments  and  a full history of over one hundred years of opportunity to engage , to put the subject of faith outside the curriculum and minds  of all state school children, forever.
Mr Daniel Andrews says its simply not important enough . For the first time in Australian schools ,  kids we will be told "its not important enough " to ever get mentioned ever.( spare us the window dressing)  Puts a new meaning to the idea of a dry area .
Most parents who used to send their children to state schools will disagree with him. 

Daniels  must change their minds - for the sake of the kids and the sharing of values and ideas .Elected leaders must face the shallow nonsense of those who advocate these changes - right now !

Confused are you -  well  join the club . Fairfax the man who set up our first papers wasn't confused ( his theology and practice sound) The State School system he helped set up has served Australia to socialize its children very well . So why in the world do we want to change what has worked so well in Australia?  Its probably not perfect  but it has worked well to keep us happy to participate in State Schools - up to now 


Whats the panic ? Islam? Probably ! The scardicats and woort warriors are busy - afraid to play the game in the playground! Why do we so easily take away schools independence and right to decide and give it to the secularist faith alone ? Would it not be better to have this fear dealt with out in the open like it has been for decades ,  A completely secular school would be a school for the mentally handicapped . 


What's the ideologues within the Education Department excuse for this change at this time ? What makes them so wise ?  is Parliament on the ball or just now an old folks home for sleepy sentimental stuff ?

Some dull witted Victorian ideologues think they can remove the old but real tensions, problems and threats  that faith drives , informs and motivates. Their magic wand ministrations is to take the factors out of the formula --  by  physically taking them away . "poof " and they are gone . No more problems
Normal thinking and mentally stable people face their fears and the reality that faith will motivate  ---- let all faiths compete for a space in the curriculum, as they could before. Out in the open

Defining secular is fine and helpful  but secularism says there is only one category for knowledge .   Secularism  simply limits the scope for knowledge

The result of this major historic change ,( if its not reversed ) The result will not be  a big frame for Victorian State schools but a holy huddle.   You can often tell a religious use of a word by the endearing love and pride with which the authors  entreat its wholeness. Secular helps us define the uncontroversial in education so teachers can get on with the job of training minds around facts and fomulae. When what we know from mere formulate starts to limit our appreciation of the possibility of more we limit our education to the mundane.

One is a category, the latter is a religion .  The former allows us to  argue productively about where the boundary is between the secular and the sacred.   Some think they will abolish the tension by dissolving the distinction in their favor . We all have different opinions about where that boundary is,  so,  how have schools involving a wide range of faith systems worked? On the current well tested principle of separation and respect  for both. The way it should stay
Better to have the boundary  than not having it , Gives us all a starting point for a good debate .

Not , please God , just another holy huddle ! read the lesson woodya  http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/health/pages/respectrel.aspx