When a student is unable to manage their behaviour in school and internal sanctions are unsuccessful, Heads exclude. A series of exclusion would lead either to a managed move to another school or referral to a Pupil Referral Unit. Behavioural students are often placed on reduced timetables as part of their program, leading to students left unsupervised and places them at risk of being criminally exploited. Excluded children often comes from marginalised communities hence continuing their feeling of disempowerment when they are excluded from a mainstream setting. Enabling schools to support young people to better manage their behaviour is of paramount importance. However, the reason behind the young person’s behaviour is usually complex. Further, schools have policies to be adhered to and a responsibility to promote good behaviour. Talking therapy is often the support offered to students with behavioural issues. This can have limited success. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the younger generation find it more comfortable to share their feelings online. Young people are adept at interacting with the online world. They are able to link a tap of the keyboard to the firing of a gun or the turn of a wheel. However, these same young people are not in tune to the consequences of their classroom disruption The development of an online educational avatar available to all students would be an innovative use of technology to introduce young people to choice behaviour. These avatars representing the students’ online self with personal information and background. Their school would exist in the virtual world. When issues arise, a student would input the incident into the program and run through what has happened with alternative reactions suggested by their avatar. The student would experience first hand their own pattern of behaviour and learn that there are choices.
2003-11