A Study On Educational Discipline In Australian Primary And Middle Schools:Paths,Characteristics And Its Implication

Education without love is powerless,while education without discipline is incomplete.Discipline is an essential element in the education system,playing a significant role in maintaining school order and promoting students’ comprehensive development.However,in China,educational discipline has long been characterized by two extreme phenomena.On the one hand,teachers abstain from using discipline because they are afraid of any kind of reproach,which results in the failure to promptly correct students’ negative behaviors and increases the possibility of juvenile delinquency.On the other hand,teachers abuse discipline because there are no proper regulations and limitations,leading to a multitude of excessive corporal punishment incidents that seriously harm students’ physical and mental well-being.In December 2020,the Rules for Educational Discipline in Primary and Secondary Schools(for Trial Implementation)was officially issued,gradually legitimizing disciplinary measures in Chinese primary and secondary education.This study focuses on the disciplinary system in Australian primary and secondary education.By utilizing methods such as literature analysis,case studies,and comparative research,it explores the development,fundamental elements,implementation path,and characteristics of discipline in Australian schools.The aim is to provide some reference for China to further improve disciplinary guidelines and implementation.This study poses four research questions:First,how has educational discipline in Australia evolved and developed?Second,what are the fundamental elements of educational discipline in Australian schools?Third,how has educational discipline been implemented in Australian schools?Fourth,what are the characteristics of the disciplinary system in Australia?The study found that educational discipline in Australia has gone through three stages of development:from allowing corporal punishment to completely banning it,from legal discipline to zero tolerance discipline,and from strict discipline to flexible discipline.Gradually,a relatively comprehensive system of educational discipline has been established in Australia.Educational discipline in Australian primary and secondary schools takes maintaining a positive school environment and fostering students’ positive behaviours as its basic goals,and sets educational,disciplinary and restrictive measures according to the degree of student misbehaviours.The implementation of disciplinary practices adheres to the fundamental principle of procedural fairness and involves multiple stakeholders,including the government,schools,communities,and parents.Furthermore,this study takes three different types of schools in Queensland as case studies to further explore the implementation paths of educational discipline in Australia.It is found that Australian schools do not passively resort to disciplinary measures,but take multiple preventive measures to proactively prevent students’ misbehaviours.Australian schools implement non-punitive and positive behaviour management strategies,strictly regulate the implementation procedures of educational discipline to protect students’legitimate rights and interests,and establish a data monitoring system for continuous improvement of disciplinary policies.At the same time,it is noted that the discipline system in Australian primary and secondary schools exhibits the following characteristics:First,it has a well-established legal framework.A series of laws and regulations enacted by the government guarantee the legality of educational discipline from the source.Second,it adopts a pluralistic strategy,and the strategy of prevention-oriented,early intervention and combination of education and discipline emphasizes the nurturing nature of educational discipline.Third,it emphasizes teacher training and supports teachers to make full use of their professional knowledge to address disciplinary issues and improve the professionalism of educational discipline.Fourth,it encourages democratic participation and closely links the school,community,parents and other stakeholders to add rationality of educational discipline.Finally,based on the summary of the Australian experience,this study proposes the following suggestions for further improving the educational discipline system in China.First,it is necessary to establish a sound legal framework for educational discipline,clarify the detailed rules for the implementation of educational discipline,and define the authorities and responsibilities of all parties involved.Second,punitive disciplinary measures should be used with caution,and efforts should be made to strengthen positive and constructive educational guidance,focusing on cultivating students’ self-discipline and sense of responsibility.Third,it is important to enhance teachers’ professional competence,protect students’ legitimate rights and interests,and ensure fairness and justice in educational discipline.Fourth,a collaborative mechanism should be established,involving schools,families,and society,to create a harmonious educational environment through the joint efforts of all three parties.