[Safety is the second of the ASPIRE principles for positive education. This is an excerpt from the Safety chapter in ASPIRE to Wellbeing and Learning for All.]

There are grim stories about how some schools operated in the past – and not just in fiction. They were places of cruelty where pupils were brutalised by staff and expected to bully and intimidate each other. Punishments were harsh and meted out for a wide variety of misdemeanours. Children who ‘couldn’t take it’ and showed distress were ridiculed. Pupils learned to shut down feelings for themselves and for others. Empathy and kindness were considered ‘soft’ and it was not so much the survival of the fittest but the survival of the meanest – especially for boys. This was not just in schools for local children but also in more privileged echelons of society, where families sent their children away as young as seven to get a ‘good education’. We see the impact of such regimes in the attitudes and behaviour of some people today who believe that ‘strong discipline’ is the way to get children to ‘behave’ and that positive relationships are not a feature of an effective classroom. They are not interested in the evidence that says otherwise, because their educational experience ‘didn’t hurt me’ – except that it did, in ways they may not fathom. They may have learnt ancient history, classics and calculus but they didn’t learn about love, positive connection, healthy relationships and authentic wellbeing. Unless, of course, they had exceptional teachers looking out for them and providing role models.

Emotional safety for many students today is fragile, with more pupils experiencing anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. For some, the fear of going to school may be overwhelming. This can result in children doing everything they can to stay home. Punitive measures are not only ineffective but can make things worse. Safety in school is where pupils are accepted for themselves and free to learn, communicate, ask questions and seek help without fear of punishment, and do not need to be hypervigilant in case someone attacks them, either physically or verbally. Feelings of safety are not generally enhanced by barbed wire, armed guards or a set of rules beginning ‘don’t’, but by a sense of positive community where everyone matters and feels supported and cared for. Students who feel safe at school are more likely to be able to concentrate and learn. Positive emotions foster creativity and problem-solving.

In school we have the option to ensure children are safe to learn and thrive. With thanks to the many educators who are already doing this.

Read my article that introduces all of these principles in The Psychologist 3/6/2024

For more detail see here