Positive Peace in Schools : Tackling Conflict and Creating a Culture of Peace in the Classroom

Positive Peace in Schools offers a fresh and challenging perspective on the question of conflict, violence and peace in schools. Drawing on the most up-to-date theory and research from the field of peace and conflict studies, this book provides readers with a strong understanding of the concept of positive peace, and how the dimensions of peace-keeping, peace-making and peace-building can be robustly applied in schools. This accessible book challenges educators everywhere to reconsider the nature of direct and indirect violence in schools, and the structural and cultural factors that sustain it. It engages with global traditions of harmony and balance that are often neglected in Western notions of liberal securitised peace, in order to suggest a model for schools that integrates inner and outer peace. The book also includes practical sections that outline restorative approaches to discipline, peer mediation, circle learning, and classroom activities to promote mindfulness, inclusion and wellbeing. Taken together, these provide a philosophy and a highly effective framework for building conflict literacy and a culture of peace in schools. Positive Peace in Schools- Front Cover 1 Positive Peace in Schools 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Contents 6 Acknowledgements 8 Introduction 10 Defining key terms 11 Overview of the book 16 Conclusion 17 Note 17 References 18 PART I: Violence in schools 20 Introduction 20 Chapter 1: School violence 22 Introduction 22 Violent students? 22 Policy to address violence in schools 25 Conclusion 27 References 27 Chapter 2: Schooling as violence? 28 Introduction 28 Structural violence in schools 29 Cultural violence in schools 30 Conclusion 33 Notes 34 References 34 Chapter 3: School improvement as violence 35 Introduction 35 A brief history of school improvement 35 Theoretical perspectives on school improvement discourse 36 Positively peaceful school improvement 40 Conclusion 41 Note 41 References 41 PART II: Peace in schools 44 Introduction 44 Chapter 4: Peace education 46 Introduction 46 Defining peace education 46 A typology of peace education 47 Peace education in modern and postmodern times 50 Peace education in times of postmodernity 57 Conclusion 61 References 62 Chapter 5: iPEACE education 64 Introduction 64 The responsive iPEACE model 65 The proactive iPEACE model 74 Conclusion 79 References 80 PART III: Peace-keeping, -making and -building 82 Introduction 82 Chapter 6: Education for peace-keeping 84 Introduction 84 Security and safety 84 Rights 85 Making and enforcing the rules 86 Rewards and sanctions 88 Behaviour management policy 89 Discipline and punishment 92 Safeguarding and child protection 94 Conclusion 95 References 95 Chapter 7: Education for peace-making 97 Introduction 97 Conflict resolution 97 The three pillars of peace-making 99 Conclusion 110 References 110 Chapter 8: Education for peace-building 112 Introduction 112 Inclusion 112 Citizenship 116 Wellbeing 120 Conclusion 124 References 125 PART IV: The praxis of positive peace 128 Introduction 128 Note 128 Chapter 9: Considering research 130 Introduction 130 Engaging with research 130 Engaging in research 131 Suggested methods 132 Evaluation 135 Conclusion 135 Note 136 References 136 Chapter 10: Case studies 137 Introduction 137 Holte Secondary School, Birmingham 137 Kings Norton Primary School, Birmingham 142 Queensbridge Primary School, Hackney, London 144 Raddlebarn Primary School, Birmingham 146 Hackney Community College, London 147 Conclusion 148 Chapter 11: Curricular activities 149 Introduction 149 Inclusion 150 Citizenship 154 Wellbeing 169 Conclusion 175 References 175 Concluding comments 176 Reference 177 Index 178 The book offers a fresh and challenging perspctive on the question of conflict, violence and peace in schools. Drawing on the most up-to-date theory and research from the field of peace and conflict studies, this book provides readers with a strong understanding of the concept of positive peace, and how the dimensions of peace-keeping, peace-making and peace-building can be robustly applied in schools