Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ School ditches rules and loses bullies

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

I found this pretty interesting. A school in New Zealand had a number of rules intended to keep children safe. But as part of a study, they abandoned the rules completely. "Mudslides, skateboarding, bullrush and tree climbing (and a 'loose parts pit') kept the children so occupied the school no longer needed a timeout area or as many teachers on patrol." According to this report, the results were excellent. The children didn't injure themselves, they behaved better, and (arguably) were better prepared for life. It's a view I subscribe to. I did all those things (except the scooter; I never got a scooter) and I'm sure it added a lot to my education (I did get a dirt bike at 16, a ripping Kawasaki 100, that was better than a scooter). And while I can't generalize from my own experience, I think the results in my case were positive. Via Dominic Cardy.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Dec 25, 2024 08:17 a.m.

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