It does matter if you’re black or white….if you’re a school kid, that is

James Gubb, 13 April 2007

The DfES ought to be proud: they’ve cracked the child psyche and come up with the best way to encourage good behaviour in formerly wayward and wild pupils, namely, for schools and teachers to offer ‘prizes’ and increase their use of ‘encouraging language and gestures’. This is some of the guidance offered by the Elton Report (something commissioned 18 years ago – which, incidentally, is a longer time than I’ve been alive!), that the government has just brought in.
The guidance also states that ‘a rewards/sanctions ratio of at least 5:1 is an indication of a school with an effective rewards and sanctions system’ – which makes me wonder exactly what constitutes an ‘effective system’ in today’s society. Though I’m all for teachers being encouraging and supportive, I’d like to point out that whilst we may be children, we’re not ‘dense’. It is painfully obvious when a teacher is being genuine in their praise and when false praise is used. Words may be cheap, but they are more ‘effective’ when used sparingly.

However, my biggest concern is how my school, a relatively poorly funded grammar school whose money is stretched enough in trying to provide up-to-date textbooks and science labs, could afford these so-called rewards, suggestions for which include mountain bikes and iPods. Never have my school’s teachers had to resort offering bribes in return for ‘good behaviour’. Over the years, they placed the emphasis on our actions, and on the knowledge that if we messed around in our classes or harassed our teachers, it would be our own future jobs and university applications that were at stake. We were encouraged to take pride in our work and to do it for no end but our own satisfaction. Such feelings are still common amongst teenagers, even if the government seems to think the only incentives that work are money and merchandise.
What makes me most livid, though, is the idea that teachers should dole out punishment ‘in relation to ethnicity and gender’. The new guidelines ‘advise teachers to take account of pupils’ race and culture when telling them off, suggesting that they go easy on those insubordinate youngsters for whom being “loud” or “over familiar” may be a cultural norm or “social style”’ (The Times). Leaving aside the inherent racism, the ‘treat those kids differently because their background is different’ mentality, it is so frustrating to think that no matter how hard I work, or how good that work is, it will be unfairly evaluated according to my ethnic background and the stereotypes attached to it. And it is more than a bit patronising to be told that there are allowances being made for our behaviour within an ‘ethnic society’, because we can’t adjust it to adapt into the larger British community.
Perhaps, then, what the DfES need to do is to stop making these excuses for teenagers and instead demand more from us. Harsher punishments may actually provide better results. Surely, expecting the same manners and standards from all of us, regardless of our background and culture, can only make us more equal, and give us a truly common goal – to succeed.
The author is a 16-year-old British Asian student, currently studying A-levels.