Schools can help end conflict<\/p>\n
Simon Marcus Gower
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
It is truly sad that the youth of Jakarta seems so often to be
\nengaged in violent conflict. Adolescents in their school uniforms
\nmay still be seen running amok on the streets of Jakarta as they
\nenter into, what appears to be, nothing short of gang warfare.
\nEven college students engage in street battles, as evidenced by
\nthe problems experienced in the Salemba district of the city.<\/p>\n
Why is this happening? Does it not suggest that something is
\ngoing wrong with the education system when adolescents end their
\nschool or college day with violent conflicts? Perhaps there
\nreally is something wrong here. Perhaps these adolescents are not
\ngetting lessons in conflict resolution and peaceful problem
\nsolving.<\/p>\n
Evidence from some quarters might suggest that this is indeed
\nthe case because sometimes efforts from teachers with regards
\nconflict resolution are nothing short of conflict instigators and
\ncreators. For example, in one school recently two rule-breakers
\nwere dealt with in a, frankly, disturbing manner.<\/p>\n
Their teacher instructed them to stand at the front of the
\nclassroom and then their classmates were required to, one-by-one,
\nslap them both across the face. Offensive physical punishment was
\nbeing made worse by having the classmates effectively humiliate
\nthe transgressors.<\/p>\n
Such actions are not going to solve problems but are far more
\nlikely to suppress or deepen them and engender new hatreds. As
\nthe great British philosopher Bertrand Russell observed, \"To hate
\nother human beings can only do harm, and it is monstrous that
\neducation should instill such hatred.\"<\/p>\n
But education that does not constructively teach of how to
\ndeal with conflict and give examples to students of how to
\npeacefully resolve problems between each other is liable to
\nbecome a source of 'instilling hatred'; particularly when it
\nresorts to physical punishments.<\/p>\n
It would be naive to suppose that we can live entirely free
\nfrom hatred entering into our lives at some point or indeed to
\nthink that we can grow up without experiencing hatred. But we can
\ncertainly learn how to better deal with and dissipate hatred.<\/p>\n
Some research has been done to try to detect at what age a
\nchild may first show signs of hate. The results have suggested
\nthat a child is essentially incapable of hate until about three
\nyears of age. It has also been suggested that hate is something
\nthat is acquired and learned; which might be taken to mean that
\nit can be unlearned as well. But perhaps this is too idealistic.
\nOnce hate has entered into the panoply of our thoughts it is
\nprobably there to stay. What we must do is equip to reduce its
\neffects.<\/p>\n
The Swiss researcher into children's thought and development
\nJean Piaget identified what he considered to be the various
\nstages of children's cognitive development. He suggested that the
\nages of two to seven years old were the ages at which a child has
\nbecome egocentric in thought and action. But the child progresses
\non to have logical and systematic thinking by the ages of seven
\nto 11 and from 12 to 15 a child is capable of abstract and
\nlogical thought.<\/p>\n
Along with this development of thought comes the ability, by
\nthose early teenage years if not before, to enter into problem-
\nsolving including hypothetical problems. It is, then, clear that
\nschool age children are well capable of learning and responding
\npositively to lessons in conflict resolution. But are they
\ngetting such lessons and are they learning the skills needed to
\nfacilitate positive and peaceful solutions?<\/p>\n
Simple steps can and should be taken in schools to allow these
\nskills to be practiced. Some basic examples illustrate how this
\nmay be achieved:<\/p>\n
o Setting and getting agreement on rules helps build
\ncooperation, participation and a sense of ownership and
\nresponsibility to abide by rules;<\/p>\n
o Teachers starting constructive discussions and even role-
\nplays that anticipate problems and conflicts and allow students
\nto think of how they might or should react if such things
\nactually do happen;<\/p>\n
o Democratically identifying needs, interests, concerns and
\nfears;<\/p>\n
o Encouraging conflicting parties to stop and listen to each
\nother;<\/p>\n
o Understanding and describing the viewpoints of others;<\/p>\n
o Creatively solving problems in a results orientated way;<\/p>\n
o Building relationships through communication and
\nunderstanding;<\/p>\n
o Encouraging genuine listening, listening and yes more
\nlistening.<\/p>\n
Simple steps such as the above can quite easily be taken but
\nsometimes teachers excessively impose their control in a
\nclassroom that creates a condition in which students are coerced
\ninto behaving as the teacher desires rather than cooperatively
\nresponding and participating in the life of the classroom.<\/p>\n
Teachers need, therefore, to have skills in conflict
\nmanagement. Among the things that they should be able to do is
\ncoolly handle conflict and turn it into something constructively.
\nConflict is often inevitable because different people have
\ndifferent needs, interests, concerns and fears. Teachers have to
\naccept and anticipate this and so use conflicts to creatively
\ndevelop and improve relationships.<\/p>\n
Early intervention helps to prevent the conflict escalating
\nout of control, so teachers need to be aware and observant. But
\nwhen conflict does occur it is important that the focus is more
\non the problem than on the people. Focus should be on the
\nunderlying needs rather than the immediate demands that may be
\nmade in the heat of the moment.<\/p>\n
Conflict, well managed, can help to build on a student's
\nexperience rather than being destructive of relationships or
\nproperty. Again, naively should not make us blind to the
\npossibility -- even likelihood -- that conflicts will arise but
\nthey should be reasonably well anticipated and, effectively,
\nintegrated into our learning. In this way they can become one of
\nlife's lessons; never necessarily pleasurable but not necessarily
\npainful or violently damaging.<\/p>\n
A key factor, too, that should not elude teachers is that they
\nprovide a critical model for behavior and responses from the
\nstudents. It is therefore essential that teachers keep their
\ntempers under control and most certainly do not resort to
\nphysical violence to punish a student. The loss of temper and the
\nuse of violence will send particularly undesirable messages to
\nstudents; and the danger of them reproducing such behavior is
\nperhaps evidenced by school and college students literally
\nrunning riot on the streets of the capital.<\/p>\n
As we approach a new year perhaps we can hope and plan for
\nthis year, and following years, to be more successful in guiding
\nstudents towards conflict management and so diffusing the
\ntensions that often erupt upon the streets of Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The writer is an education consultant.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/schools-can-help-end-conflict-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }