Oral Presentation

Question 1

1.

Answer 1

1. Hello Mr Convery and Ms Phillip, my issue is that Australian students should be taught how to behave via a formal ‘discipline curriculum’.
2. My first argument is that I think that we should not have these classes because…

Question 2

2.

Answer 2

1. I can already see the looks on your faces. Reading in a monotone voice straight off my cue card with no body language would not net me a good grade for an oral presentation.
2. You might be wondering why I started off this way.
3. Well, this is just an example of what could happen to students under the ‘discipline curriculum’ the Australian senate has proposed after an inquiry in 2022.
4. The inquiry investigated the ‘increasing disruption in Australian school classrooms’, and suggested the curriculum to help the students “understand their school’s behavioural expectations and values”, as the Senate states.
5. Forced to attend these pointless, time wasting classes, the fatigue and monotony that began my presentation would soon become the norm.
6. Is there really a need to fit these behaviour classes into an already squashed school year?
7. Also, there are other measures besides disciplinary classes that can be used to improve classroom disruption.

Question 3

3.

Answer 3

1. Surely both of you, as English teachers, should know that our curriculum is packed enough as is. Imagine if our already busy day was filled with these classes.
2. The students coming into the school gates in the morning would look like the dawn of the dead, living corpses staggering aimlessly forwards, too little time to do anything properly.
3. A study at QACI, a secondary school in Queensland, found that the overall attendance rate is 86.9% and that 19.5% of students have chronic absenteeism, or a less than 80 per cent attendance rate.
4. It is clear that trying to hold these behaviour classes will have a disastrous effect on our focus and lead to even worse absence rates, and undoubtedly worse academic results.

Question 4

4.

Answer 4

1. Declining academic performance aside, behaviour issues are not a problem at every single school across Australia.
2. For starters, we at Mazenod have a glowing reputation for producing “dynamic, compassionate, and successful young men”, as our college website writes.
3. Simply trying to force students that already understand the concept of behaviour and manners, is like trying to teach a basketball player how to bounce a ball - redundant and unnecessary.
4. Our focus should be on nurturing their talents, not taking away their time and concentration with a behavioural discipline curriculum.

Question 5

5.

Answer 5

1. I do realise, however, that there are schools that suffer from behavioural issues, and that these disciplinary classes may benefit them.
2. As Senator Matt O’ Sullivan says, “Not every kid is provided with background and support” that the behaviour curriculum would supply.
3. I also realise that those affected are not just the students, but the teachers as well.
4. In 2022, the Australian Teachers’ Perceptions of their Work report found an increase in the number of teachers feeling unsafe at work, from 18.9 per cent in 2019 to 24.5 per cent in 2022.
5. Nevertheless, there are other ways in which we can curb bad behaviour, without having to resort to these classes that take up valuable time in the classroom.

Question 6

6.

Answer 6

1. I was born in Singapore, and attended two years of primary school there.
2. Behavioural problems were minimal, despite all of us being such a young age. And it wasn’t because of strict teachers or frequent discipline.
3. The well funded schools prioritised supporting our learning, with counsellors, school doctors and nurses, and quality facilities.
4. We should aim to provide such an environment so students can enjoy learning, instead of trying to fix the problems when they arise.
5. The Senate inquiry in 2022 suggested the discipline curriculum, but failed to question why students are coming to school distracted, frustrated and tired in the first place.

Question 7

7.

Answer 7

1. Obviously, it is more common for students that come from disadvantaged backgrounds to not want to learn.
2. The WAESPAA, an organisation of school principals and administrators, stated that “People don’t want to keep working when they are always being hurt or are mentally exhausted” especially when they are facing difficult times in other areas of their lives.
3. Simply forcing them to attend classes for a ‘discipline curriculum’ will not solve this.

Question 8

8.

Answer 8

1. Even worse, the government assumes that every school has the resources to implement these classes.
2. Australian Education Union President Correna Haythorp states that the Senate report highlights that schools are not receiving enough funding, “but fails to propose an increase in funds that might help address this.”
3. We should listen to solutions being posed by parties such as the Greens - to fully fund public schools at the beginning of the next National School Reform Agreement in 2025.
4. For struggling schools, this funding is crucial to hire more staff, implement specialised programs, and create safer learning environments.

Question 9

9.

Answer 9

1. So, whilst we need to address behavioural issues in schools, implementing a formal ‘discipline curriculum’ is not the solution.
2. Instead, the government should focus on adequately funding schools to improve the quality of education and the wellbeing of students and teachers, making disruptions and poor behaviour a thing of the past.
3. Thank you