SYDNEY (Reuters) - Teachers using red pen to mark students' work could be harming their psyche as the color is too aggressive, according to education strategies drafted by an Australian state government.
The "Good Mental Health Rocks" kit, which was distributed this month to about 30 schools in Queensland state, offers strategies such as "don't mark in red pen (which can be seen as aggressive) - use a different color."
Other tips include structuring time for peer tutoring every day, apologizing to students when necessary and asking students to conduct a "personal skills audit" where they focus on their individual strengths rather than their weaknesses.
The kit, designed to help Queensland teachers address mental health in the classroom, suggests social and emotional wellbeing has been linked to young people's schooling, among other things.
The education aid has sparked a row in parliament, with deputy opposition leader Mark McArdle calling it "kooky, loony, loopy lefty policies."
But Health Minister Stephen Robertson, whose department devised the kit, said youth suicide was a serious issue.
"If mental health professionals determine that as one of a number of strategies teachers should consider, then I'll support them every day of the week," he told reporters recently. "This is not a matter for ridicule, this is serious."
According to some Australian mental health groups, the greatest number of people with mental illness are aged between 18 and 24 years, with 14 percent of Australian children and adolescents suffering from some sort of illness.
Boys are slightly more likely to experience mental health problems than girls and depression is one of the most common conditions in young people and increases during adolescence, the website of mental health group Mindframe said.
(Reporting by Pauline Askin, Editing by Miral Fahmy)
Red pen has been banned in my Step Son's School, and even writing a negative comment on the bottom of the page has been stopped.
I remember the way it felt to see all those red pen markings on my assignments. At first it was a bit off-putting, but it enoucouraged me to do what it took to make sure there were less of them next time.
It seems like we're trying to make life as easy and pain-free as possible for kids these days. If they don't experience every emotion, how are they ever going to grow into well-rounded adults? Shelter them too much and they'll fall apart when they're out on their own in the world.
Stamd up amd be heard. You 2 are correct in my opinion.
Enough of the cry babies and whinners.
It's time school took back the rule and not be ruled.
Bring on the RED INK.
Bat
Bravo Batman!
We're raising a generation of sissys and that's a shame. God forbid they should have to face something tough in their pampered lives. Where's the strength to handle problems going to come from if they can't even handle red ink?
Anyone watch Wall-E?? Remember how the humans were portrayed? Weak, fat, couldn't hear anything "bad" at all. Needed to be happy,happy,happy all the time. Can you see it coming? LOL
I lived, breathed, ate and slept football as a kid and into my teen years, and always thought I would love to be a coach, even a volunteer after work in the afternoons.
With the things that one has to put up with with namby-pamby parents and their kids....Jr can't run so many laps....Jr needs to play this weekend as his grandparents are visiting....Whaddya mean discipline....Nobody yells at my kid.... I take my hat off to those who put up with it, both teachers and coaches. Pity their first first-line supervisor when they enter the workforce...
OMG Yes. Then when you mentioned that, I thought of the ones that have to play or else. Well guess what scooter, you don't always get to play in this life.
Or the umps that get the shit kicked outta them cause of a call a parent didn't like.
My ex bro in law ump-ed kids and was always getting threats, etc. And he was a big man, like 6'4" and 300 lbs. He'd just calmly get in his car and slowly start to leave. If they stood in front of his car, he just kept going.
Another point I think everyone is missing is that in a few years whatever color they pick will be the new "bad" color because it is associated with poor marks. Unless they start having a federally set "this color this year" programs which should only cost 10 billion dollars a year in administration costs. Then every color with be associated with that and a whole new crop of worries will be born.
I wanted to get your opinion about it, Tech, cuz you're in the Biz.
What really frosts me is when they ban dodge-ball or even tag in school.
Or how about the little boy that kissed the little girl on the cheek and got suspended?
Having two kids in shool right now I agree with everything that has been said so far. I see it everyday in the lack of homework my middle school daughter brings home and the fact that the elementary schools here only have PE one day a week...I mean what is that?! No wonder we are raising a nation of overweight, lazy kids.
