Well done] You have not misbehaved: Elaine Williams looks at the carrot and stick approach to classroom discipline

PUPILS at a secondary school on the Wirral have nothing but praise for the rules and regulations of their new system of discipline.

Bebington's High School introduced assertive discipline, an American theory of regulation based on a rigid set of rules, penalties and rewards, in September. Pupils say it is the rewards that have made all the difference.

Sarah Rowan, 17, and Martin Williams, 15, both sitting their GCSEs this year, believe a good deal more work is being done because pupils are constantly praised for good behaviour and penalties are swiftly imposed.

Says Sarah: 'In class you can just get on with your work. You just don't have to be bothered with the disruptive people any more, the system now takes care of them.'

'Teachers used to waste a lot of time repeating things, taking pupils out of class to tell them off,' says Martin. 'Now you know what is expected of you, and if you misbehave you know exactly what's going to happen to you.'

A simple set of six rules is displayed in every classroom, along with a list of rewards for keeping those rules and consequences of breaking them.

The rules are: pupils must arrive on time to lessons and enter the room quietly; they must remain in their seats unless asked to move; come to lessons properly equipped; listen to and follow instructions the first time given; raise their hands before answering or speaking; and treat others, their work and equipment with respect.

A first infringement leads to the child's name being written on the blackboard. Subsequent misdemeanours lead to five-minute, 15- minute or 30-minute detentions through to removal from the classroom, informing of parents and isolation from the timetable, peers and friends.

Good behaviour in America tends to be rewarded with candy and popcorn parties. Staff at Bebington felt such enticement was in bad taste and opted for non-material rewards.

Pupils who behave appropriately during a lesson are rewarded with an 'R' on a record, for Reward. Six of these lead to a bronze letter of commendation to take home to parents, 12 to a silver, 18 a gold and 24 to a diploma of excellence presented by the headteacher in assembly. End-of-year special rewards - a non-uniform day or a trip out - are negotiated between pupils and staff.

Teachers can award a certificate of merit for pieces of good work or behaviour or for long- term punctuality. All letters and certificates earned by pupils are kept in their records of achievement, which are available to employers.

Bebington has 1,000 pupils aged 11 to 18, and has a mixed catchment area including both inner city and leafy suburbian areas. A significant proportion of pupils have learning difficulties. Discipline is an important issue.

John Adamson, a languages teacher, believes he is now spending 25 per cent more time on curriculum teaching thanks to the new system. He explains the difference assertive discipline has made in teaching style: 'I used to say things like, 'Will you please open your books to page 30 and hurry up, Joe Bloggs, I'm waiting for you.'

'Now I say things like: 'I need you to open your books to page 30' and 'that's good, you've done it'. It's a much more positive approach.'

Chris Bale, the school secretary, says pupils are now polite and obliging when once they were surly.

According to proponents of assertive discipline, most teachers make the mistake of expecting good behaviour from pupils as a matter of course. What they should do, the theory says, is to reward such behaviour and be clear and firm about the penalties for disruption. In this way pupils are given the clear choice to be good or bad.

Patrick Kearney, a geography teacher appointed to the school in September, believes the system greatly benefits new teachers and students. 'Such clearly established discipline procedures immediately reduce classroom conflict,' he says. A couple of names had already been chalked up on his blackboard.

'If somebody is misbehaving you don't have to interrupt teaching to deal with it, you just write their name up on the board and they know then what they are going to have to face.

'If they persist, they are simply removed from the classroom, accompanied by a fellow student, and dealt with by somebody else. Conflict is immediately defused and it makes for a very supportive environment.'

Bebington is one of more than 400 British schools that have adopted some form of assertive discipline. The school paid pounds 1,000 for a day's staff training by Behaviour Management, the Bristol- based company that introduced the scheme into this country.

John Patten, Secretary of State for Education, has expressed some interest in assertive discipline and Adrian Smith, of Behaviour Management, will lay out the benefits for schools when he meets Eric Forth, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education, today.

Mr Forth has a declared interest in disciplinary matters since he is leading a Department for Education inquiry into the rising rate of expulsion and suspension of pupils.

Could the Government not mistake such a scheme for good old-fashioned discipline and rigid classroom control? 'I am not a disciplinarian as such,' says Mr Burns, 'I'm certainly not old-fashioned, but I do believe in high standards of achievement from my pupils and staff.'

The new approach seems to work well, but will pupils be so well-behaved once the novelty wears off?

Mr Burns has no doubts. 'I don't think pupils ever get tired of being told how well they are doing. This system has changed staff attitudes to pupils. They are much more positive and ready to give praise whenever it is due.'

(Photograph omitted)