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BY KEITH HUDSON
Over the last few weeks we have
all been saddened by articles in The London Free Press about
the impact bullying can have on young people in our schools.
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VOXPOP...........................................
How often were you, or someone
you know, bullied in school? Let me introduce you to Bruce
Langford, who for the last three years has been trying to
change attitudes of students toward bullying..
For
15 years, Bruce has been a music teacher in elementary schools
and has seen the impact bullying has on a student's self-esteem
.
Children
who should be excellent students find excuses not to come
to school, refuse to answer questions for fear of being
laughed at, and in some cases even fear for their personal
safety.
Although
most school boards have adopted a policy of zero tolerance
on aggression, this only is applied after the fact. Langford
is convinced that if we are to provide a safe environment
to learn in, we must educate all children about appropriate
behaviour. Further, for those who are the victims, we must
provide tools to help them cope and ways to deflect bullying
in a peaceful, respectful manner.
Langford
has produced a one-person musical show. Stand Up Against
Bullying, which last year was performed in many elementary
schools in the Thames Valley District school board in the
London area, and throughout Southwestern Ontario. More information
is available on his website, www.atfm.ca.
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He
wishes to acknowledge the Thames Valley board for its support
to this project and its encouragement, which has allowed him
a one-year sabbatical to tour the show on a full-time basis
this year.
Besides his production for the elementary
level, Langford has a video and dialogue program aimed at
senior elementary students. In the schools, he distributes
copies of his CD, which has all his original songs used in
Stand Up Against Bullying, and gives permission to teach the
songs and a teacher kit with suggested teaching plans on preventing
bullying in school.
At present, Langford has to charge
for these productions and seek sponsors to help cover material
costs. Each child who attends the production receives a bookmark
and each child who participates in the production receives
a small gift. Langford produces all his own CDs, videos and
teacher packs.
It is my belief that creative people
like Langford should be funded by the Ministry of Education
directly and made available to schools across Ontario at no
cost to the schools. The material such an artist develops
for these productions should also be funded by the ministry.
There are many talented people in
the system, such as Langford, trying to make a difference.
Instead of coming up with a new set
of rules or a new directive, the Ministry of Education should
review the programs already set up and invest in those that
have promise if appropriate funding is provided.
Vox Pop provides readers an opportunity
to comment on topical subjects. Keith Hudson is a Woodstock
resident. |
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