Sunday 8 October 2017

On Shaming Children


Imagine being 8 years old and having to stand in a separate dinner queue from your peers to receive your free school meal, acutely aware that everyone else in the canteen knew your parents couldn't afford to feed you. I don't have to imagine as this was the system for free school meals used in primary school back in the 1990s. Thankfully we've come a long way since then...or have we...

I've read a number of stories over the past few weeks about children being humiliated and shamed in schools. Most recently, there was a school who sent a letter to parents wanting them that their children would be fed 'bread and fruit' if the parents didn't settle their lunch debt. And, to avoid 'embarrassing' their child they should pay up promptly. It's the last but that really rubs. The school acknowledges that enforcing this policy will cause potential shame and yet is willing to carry on regardless. I've of also heard schools in the States who have resorted  to stamping children's arms if their parents have failed to pay the lunch bill. Of course, some pupils will respond to these dehumanising policies by simply not eating at all, Which, as we know, isn't a good idea.  

What I find equally concerning about the whole lunch debate is how some people try to defend it by arguing that (a) at least they're giving the kids something to eat, (b) it's wrong to shame a school and/ or (c) if you're not entitled to free school meals then obviously you can afford to feed your children. It's the latter point I take considerable issue with. Given that 60% of working families are now living in poverty it's really not that straight forward. 

I understand that schools are under a lot of financial pressure and I blame the government for that. However, shaming children for their parent's inability or unwillingness to pay for lunch is not the solution. Schools need to work with parents towards a solution that doesn't involve punishing the child. In fact, the only thing that shaming is likely to do is build a deep sense of resentment within the child towards school and home. I know many schools who don't feel the need to shame children even during these difficult economic times. It's possible. 

I've mainly focussed on one aspect of child shaming here but I've noticed other examples recent weeks such as making children wear signs around their necks for uniform misdemeanours. Again, these at the extreme end of shaming but I also think it's done quite subtly in many schools. For example, how many schools use behaviour and/ or performance charts on classroom walls? I worked in a school where every form tutor was supposed to put up a RAG sheet of pupils' performance across all their subjects to show if they were above, on or below target. As this was in a secondary school it meant that not only would the rest of the form see it but so would the other 350 pupils who used the classroom. For me, these practices amount to little more than a modern-day equivalent of Dunce's Hat; a form of humiliation and shame which potentially has long-term psychological damage. 

I'm not a psychology expert and nor do I claim to be. However, a cursory search on EBSCOHost reveals a number of studies which have highlighted the consequences of shaming children and the deep physiological damage in can cause including feelings of self-degradation, anxiety, depression, perfectionism and aggression. At a time when mental ill-health is on the rise amongst young people, it's probably best to avoid anything that will exacerbate these worrying trends. 


Schools have a duty of care towards children. This includes protecting them from physical and emotional harm, treating them with respect and making them feel safe. It's a real shame that some schools are choosing to ignore this. 


Sunday 1 October 2017

Five Books on Educational Research

I'll start by saying this is not another '10 books every teacher must read about education’ posts. Mainly because I don't like people telling me what I must do and I’ve no desire to inflict my reading list on anyone else. This is more of a 'five useful books on educational research that you may or may not want to read if you have the time and desire to do so'. Admittedly, the title could do with some work. 

I should probably point out that the majority of these books are about qualitative research as (a) I’m trying to indoctrinate you and (b) this is an exercise in self-congratulation. It’s also a post for anyone interested in conducting their own research rather than a summary of findings from meta-analyses such as in Hattie's Visible Learning. So, here we go...

Brooks, R., Te Riele, K. and Maguire, M., 2014. Ethics and education research

I'm going to start with a book on ethics as I worry that it sometimes gets overlooked in discussions around educational research. This book provides a detailed overview of the ethical issues involved in conducting educational research such as positionality, anonymity and informed consent. If you haven’t got the time to read this the definitely check out this handy guide from BERA.





Denzin, N.K. and Lincoln, Y.S. eds., 2011. 
The Sage handbook of qualitative research

This is probably one of the best all-rounders on qualitative research. It covers everything from theoretical paradigms to strategies of inquiry to collecting, interpreting and presenting your data/ findings. Also, as this is the fifth edition you should be able pick up earlier editions online quite cheaply. I would also highly recommend other works by Denzin and Lincoln but this book provides a great starting point. 


Crotty, M., 1998. The foundations of social research: Meaning and perspective in the research process.



This book is not just about educational qualitative research but is great for connecting theory and practice. It covers the four main elements of research design with accessible precision; epistemology, theoretical perspectives, methodology and methods. Also, if you want to get your head around postmodernism then please head straight to chapter 9. It saved me hours. 

Creswell, J.W. and Poth, C.N., 2017. Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches



This book focuses specifically on five qualitative approached; narrative research, phenomenology, case studies, grounded theory and ethnography. I’m a big fan of all of these but there’s also enough within these pages for any qualitative researchers looking for information on philosophical assumptions and interpretative frameworks. Also, as this is the fourth edition, you should be able to pick up a relatively cheap copy. 

Kincheloe, J.L., 2012. Teachers as researchers (classic edition): Qualitative inquiry as a path to empowerment. Routledge.




I've only just started reading this but it's good. Really good. To give you a flavour of its contents, I’ll share a section from the blurb...this book 'argues that only by engaging in complex, critical research will teachers rediscover their professional status, empower their practice in the classroom and improve the quality of education for their pupils'. Quite the claim. 

I'm hoping to blog more about qualitative research in the future when I'm done tweeting about tea and beer...