II. Development of Whole School Approach to Guidance and Discipline

2.1          Guidance and discipline is an integral part of school education.  As early as 1990, primary and secondary schools were encouraged to adopt a WSA to guidance and discipline so as to help students develop themselves and embrace various challenges in learning and in life.

2.2          In that year, the Education Commission recommended in its Report No. 4 the implementation of the WSA to Guidance to improve the quality of student guidance service.  The WSA to Guidance emphasizes the united efforts of all teaching staff of the school who, under the leadership of the school head, help students actively in overcoming their developmental problems and create a positive school culture through various developmental and constructive programmes to maximize students’ personal development and life adaptation.

2.3          In 1999, the former Education Department published the Guidelines on Student Discipline for all primary and secondary schools to encourage them to adopt a WSA and to implement discipline work through an educative approach.  The Guidelines stress that every student is teachable, and that discipline work should aim at providing students with opportunities to learn and behave wisely and prudently with the aim to enhance their problem-solving and decision-making abilities.

2.4          The Guidance Work in Secondary Schools issued in 2001 and the document on Comprehensive Student Guidance Service for primary schools issued in the 2002/03 school year describe in details the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders, including school heads, teachers, student guidance personnel in primary schools and school social workers in secondary schools, in implementing the WSA to guidance.  Moreover, the documents also mention about the collaboration of student guidance service with other school systems (in such domains as “Management and Organisation”, “Learning and Teaching”, etc.) to provide comprehensive guidance service for students.

2.5          In the 21^st century, rapid changes in information and technology have brought new challenges to our children and youth in Hong Kong.  They are confronted with the challenges not only to preserve traditional culture and values in a new era, but also to adjust to a changing landscape of family structure and interpersonal relationship as well as a breathtaking pace of living.  To keep abreast of the changes in society and to meet the developmental needs of students, schools have attached much importance on an integrated approach to guidance and discipline for the benefit of student development.  In recent years, many schools have integrated guidance and discipline service into the three domains of “Management and Organisation”, “Learning and Teaching” and “Student Support and School Ethos” to create a harmonious and caring school culture, to nurture students’ good personality, and to enhance their interpersonal relationship with others.