Since 2022, Nepal Forum for Restorative Justice has been promoting ways to use the principles of restorative justice in the field of education. We see that as schools have internalized the idea of punishment conflating it with the notion of discipline, there is a better way of doing it.
From 2023, this has been linked to Good Schools work under the Global Coalition for Good Schools, where we are a part.
Schools where children have access to a safe learning environment, they are empowered and they do not have to experience violence in school are good schools. Schools play a crucial role in many aspects of a child’s life, from developing and learning to physical and mental health. Violence in and around school (VIAS) is a threat to both schooling and learning. It hampers not only the children’s well-being but also the health and future earnings of the adults. Good schools don’t believe in practicing punitive measures but strive to provide positive and safe learning space for the children.
How do Restorative Practices help?
Restorative practices: Restorative practices attempt to repair harm. The goal of restorative practices in schools is to create a welcoming, respectful, and positive learning environment. Restorative practices are not just techniques for controlling students better, they add up to an alternative approach to what schools should be fostering in students. It offers an alternative approach when responding to behavioral problems in school.
Following restorative practices can create a good school environment as RP is centered on repair and reconciliation rather than punishment which frequently results in anger, shame and exclusion. Those schools which practice corporal punishments, students are more likely to drop out and have fear of going to school.
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