parent comment posted on Radio 4 site

At 09:03 PM on 05 Nov 2007, wrote:


My child goes to one of the schools in Rotherham which has piloted the praise pod, and I personaly cannot praise it enough. It has been a positive influence on all pupils; the percieved naughty children are now realising that positive attention has more reward attached to it than negative, and the children who are always good are getting the recognition they deserve.



The children who are sent to the pod are not singled out by their peers for being "boffs" as every child has the chance to be praised in this manner, regardless of how they have managed to attain this positive praise. The praise pod allows all kinds of achievements to be celebrated, not just academic success.We in this country live in a culture of critisism, not praise; receiving praise gratefully and being proud of our successes is percieved as being egotistical and unbecoming of the British. It is about time we changed this view, and where better to do this than in a primary setting, where most children learn about the accepted norms of society?



I, like many other parents, would rather my child learn in an environment where good behaviour has a real pay off, such as a visit to the praise pod. Who among us would rather be told off for being less than others expect, than being praised for doing the best we can can do ? Kids need to feel valued just as much as adults do, and the praise pod helps teachers show that they do value the children in their care. A child who feels valued and cared for will exhibit far more good behaviour than bad behaviour.