PATHS

[PrimAL]

Just heard on the radio Liz C is putting $1m into PATHS, a 'behaviour management' program.  I have been to the PD and seen it in action.  Unfortunately it doesn't seem like it had a massive difference.  Has anyone else seen it and actually seen it work?  Or has anyone actually seen and local studies on its effectiveness?  Must be for govt to commit money right?

[Michelle Westlake]

Don't think there's much behaviour management in it - it's more 'self management' as in mental/emotional health.

[PrimAL]

I agree Michelle, and I agree in what the program is trying to achieve.  I just think the program is extremely flawed and not relevant to upper primary students.

[peter george]

How many bandaids will $ 1000 000 buy? We need to be able to send children with problems - behavioural or otherwise - to a time out room which is supervised by quailified personel. This is where the money should be going. We should not have to deal with a neanderthal that has absolutely no interest in learning. Program after program , failure after failure and still no one has any idea!

[testing]

shall we make them wear yellow stars on their clothing and only let them occupy certain parts of the school?

Good to see the proactive attitude!

[Michelle Westlake]

I haven't seen PATHS in action, PrimAl, but we didn't get enough good feedback to go with it when we looked into it.  My school has stuck with Bounce Back for juniors and Aussie Optimism for seniors, having already spent up big on resources and training.  Even so, we need a full-time psych (iatrist, not ologist) to deal with mental and emotional health issues in schools these days.

[PrimAL]

Thanks for your feedback Michelle.  I have seen it in action, gone to the PD and don't think it's effective for what it sets out to achieve.  I have asked for local results on studies into its effectiveness for the last 3 years.  Still nothing!  And when I heard this story I was mortified to hear so much money going into something with it.  Not many of our teachers like it.  Many just do it because they have to.