Supported by NED Foundation
An instructional manual on restorative justice in schools from world-leading experts; this 'how to' guide offers guidance on the issues of carrying out restorative practices, including coping with day-to-day problems, and offers worksheets for practical daily use.
Much more than a response to harm, restorative justice nurtures relational, interconnected school cultures. The wisdom embedded within its principles and practices is being welcomed at a time when exclusionary discipline and zero tolerance policies are recognized as perpetuating student apathy, disproportionality, and the school-to-prison pipeline.
'Schools need to be transformed into communities where everyone belongs, where differences are accepted and membership is unconditional. Schools can and should be places that all students can love. Making this change will require educators to think differently about student behavior and reflect on how they respond to it.
'Adam Voigt has been teaching and leading schools in some of Australia’s most challenging locations for more than twenty-five years.
He has a history of transforming student lives and teacher practice by fostering school cultures that are strong, relational and hallmarked by stakeholder trust.'
'Restorative practices are rooted in restorative justice. They emphasize repairing the harm done to people and relationships, rather than punishing people.
By building more supportive learning environments and focusing on social-emotional learning, restorative practices can:
reduce social barriers to learning, engage more students, create a context for understanding and valuing diversity, nurture a sense of belonging, promote positive mental health'
This initiative aims to transform Newcastle into a restorative city by building social cohesion and healthy communities.
Newcastle has pockets of disadvantage in relation to unemployment, income, education, housing, child welfare, and criminal justice.
'Some advocate for training SROs to be more restorative; however, SROs have shown that training on how to interact with students as mentors does not change their racist policing behaviors. Before Minneapolis Public Schools terminated their contract with the MPD, they had been unsuccessfully trying to transform the role of their SROs from “enforcer” to “mentor” and still police officers were disproportionately “interacted with” black students.