Warrawong students Yavoz Esen, 10, Charles Irakoze, 5, and Hailley Morris, 8. Picture: ORLANDO CHIODO
Warrawong Public School threw away its rule book yesterday with the launch of a new behaviour and discipline system.
School rules were replaced with three new "expectations" - safety, respect and responsibility - and instead of being punished for bad behaviour students will receive rewards for doing the right thing.
"We're taking away the rules and, by doing that, we are trying to take away the negativity of rules and replace that with the positivity of getting kids to meet expectations," assistant principal and Positive Behaviour for Success co-ordinator Greg Mineeff said.
"Students and staff came up with the new values together and the kids are pretty happy about them because, for most of the students, it means they will be rewarded for doing the things they have always done."
Students receive awards and badges for doing safe, respectful or responsible things, like working quietly, helping to tend the school garden, following a teacher's instructions or putting their rubbish in the bin at lunchtime.
Mr Mineeff said those who misbehaved would still be disciplined, but he hoped emphasising good behaviour would stamp out trouble in the classroom and playground.
"Educational research shows that rewarding students has more impact than punishing them; it instils positive values and we can actually work on negative behaviour by being positive," he said.
