TRUANTS are
being bribed to attend classes with prizes such as iPods, barbecue lunches and
canteen vouchers. (Danks,. K, McDougal,. B,
2012).
The article ‘Schools
paying iPod bribes to stop truancy’ by Bruce McDougall and Katherine danks explores the issues many schools, as well as the government are facing, that being
the issue of many absentees. The numbers of absentees are rising within schools
and it seems as though parents, teachers as well as government officials are
running out of opinions, and resulting to rewarding students as a result of attending
their compulsory attendance. It has been noted that schools are a “commonplace for
children to stay away from school for reasons that would have been unheard of
20 years ago.” (Danks,. K, Mcdougal,. B, 2012). Teachers are losing
control in their classrooms and are facing a difficult time in terms of
students being absent from school, to the point where text messages are being
sent to parents notifying them that their child is not present at school.
Leonardo’s article ‘Handbook
of Cultural Politics and Education’ stresses the notion of teachers being the authoritative
leaders in class and taking control of the situation, in which the student does
not have the upper hand in any given situation. That as a teacher, it is their
duty to perform their daily tasks with complete control over the class. Unfortunately
in which case does not occur in certain schools once it comes to absenteeism,
as there are a range of factors that have influenced students taking days off
in the last twenty years of which are out of teachers and schools hands. "These
include staying away to celebrate their own or a sibling's birthday, being
absent because they stayed up too late watching TV, going shopping for clothes,
an unexpected long weekend and kids not wanting to take part in a sports day or
school event." (Danks,. K, McDougal,. B, 2012).”
For freire, reconstructing authority necessitates establishing
a new culture of power, one that does not mystify it as predetermined and
therefore unchangeable, and is ultimately deployed in the interest of the
oppressed” (Leonardo,. Z, pg.6, 2009)
Within Leonardo’s
article, there is an important concept that is highlighting the importance of
teachers being in control in their classrooms and schools. “Rejecting authoritarianism
and vanguardism on one side but denouncing neutrality on the other, freire reconstructs
authority as a form of power sharing and does not encourage teachers to pretend
that they do not have charge of a room filled with either kids or adult
learners.” (Leonardo,. Z, pg.6, 2009). It is important to grasp this concept as
it stresses just how vital it is for teachers to stay in control, in which case
even if they feel they are not in control to at least pretend in order to
maintain order and discipline. Otherwise unfortunately future methods will
become difficult to contain, ultimately displayed through Danks article as it
depicts student rebellion and teachers struggling efforts to maintain the
situation. "Recognised and celebrated students across the school who achieved
excellent attendance of more than 85 per cent. A prize is drawn for each year
group and winning students are presented with an iPod Shuffle.(Leonardo,. Z, pg.6, 2009)
References:
- Leonardo (Ed.), Handbook of Cultural Politics and Education (pp1-48), 2009.
- Danks,. K, McDougal,. B, 'Schools paying ipod bribes to stop truancy', (2012)<http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/schools-paying-ipod-bribes-to-stop-truancy/story-e6freuy9-1226495669106>
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